Following the 1967 Detroit riots, Focus: HOPE was founded to fight income inequality, inadequate education, and racism. Almost 50 years have passed now, and Focus: HOPE has grown substantially to operate child care, career training, and supplemental food programs that serve residents from all backgrounds. Thousands of peoples’ lives have improved as a result.
In 2009, Focus: HOPE launched the Hope Village initiative, which is a comprehensive plan that aims to make 100% of the residents in the surrounding area community educationally well-prepared, economically self-sufficient, and living in a safe and supportive environment by 2031. In recent years, programs have been expanded to improve these three Es.
Unfortunately, many job training programs have a smaller number of participants than they would like to see. That is where I come in, I am looking at the barriers to getting a job in the HOPE Village and how we might better guide people to jobs, job training, etc. that fit their needs. It is not clear yet whether that guidance should come in the form of a physical info graphic or an online tool…maybe both. Either way, the product will be mainly molded by the perspective of job seekers and what they consider to be the most user-friendly.
Deciding on a format and the exact data that should be put in the product has been harder than I thought it would be. There are 300+ organizations that provide job training programs in Detroit. Many have rigid acceptance policies and others do not. Some operate their programs year-round and others do not.
Detroit has been very enjoyable thus far. I watched a movie on the north lawn of the DIA last Friday, went to my first Tigers game on Tuesday, and discovered a lot of good restaurants throughout the week. But there is so much more to do and enjoy.
