SUMMER IN THE CITY 2015
This summer, I have been placed in an internship with the amazing Summer In The City Program, founded and based in Detroit, Michigan. In my years of a high school student, I have dreamed of volunteering with the SITC. At the time, I saw the program as an opportunity to paint murals, plant flowers, and play with children and teens all summer long. It was not until I completed my first week of interning with them that I realized this program means so much more and holds a deeper meaning.
The Summer In The City Program, founded in 2002 by Ben Falik, is a community service, service learning organization in the city of Detroit that ultimately strives to improve and expand community service, togetherness, and collaboration in the greater Metropolitan Detroit Area. Focusing highly on the enrichment of students, the SITC addresses the immediate needs of inner city neighborhoods and fosters a regional mindset. Ultimately, the main goal of the program is to engage and encourage young people within the metro Detroit area to volunteer and leave a positive impact on their communities. With the organization’s work being concentrated in the summer months, it opens an avenue for young people to “Paint, Plant, and Play.” Volunteers, students, and Crew Members (Staff) all work together towards the beautification of Detroit by painting murals, planting and maintaining urban gardens, and running youth enrichment programs.
The SITC Program focuses on the youth of Detroit because change occurs at the heart. They believe that the youth is the heart of the city, and instilling the of virtues of kindness, compassion, selflessness, cohesion, and fellowship in the youth, no matter how young or old they are, will ultimately create a deferred gratification and long term effect on the betterment in regards to how the rightfully treat others, themselves, and their communities. Not only does the program aspire to instill these virtues in their students and volunteers, but amongst the “Crew” members as well. The Crew Members are considered faculty staff, but are referred to as a “Crew” because of the equal level of importance each person shares and contributes to the program as a whole. With their “Do-acracy” belief, everyone is a leader and takes initiative to do whatever needs to be done as a family of “do-ers.”
My research project for this summer is to learn the components of a successful and educational enrichment program. It is my journey this summer to assess and research the critical elements that produce a healthy program, and for this summer in particular, underrepresented minority students from urban areas. By looking at the dynamics, I must research the socioeconomic aspects of groups of students to assess what programs best suits their needs for the betterment of their enhancement. I’m sure this research project will be more defined as the weeks go by, but the overall research project is very near and dear to my heart.
My first week of interning Detroit was eye-opening. Even though the city is very familiar to me due to being raised here, I have learned that I have so much more to learn. There are so many groups of people and areas of interest that I am ignorant to. My cultural awareness has been reopened, with an open mind to work for and amongst those who are from the same city as me, but completely different from me. I can’t wait to embark on that new journey.
