It is amazing the amount of resources in Detroit. I never knew that the same area the media called dangerous, dirty and unsafe could be this beautiful. Working in the Green Garage has been amazing from learning about recycling, connecting with other organizations and participating in community activities. The Green Garage allows many organizations especially non-profits to challenge one another and enjoy the beautiful city of midtown Detroit.
This week I was able to go to a Youth Summer Training Workshop. During the workshop we learned two main topics: Planning & Reflection and Cooperative Learning. Actually being involved in the activities instead of learning about the material was extremely beneficial when determining whether the students would enjoy the activities in the summer. Even reflecting on our experience was entertaining because it allowed me to recall the parts of the activity I enjoyed and the parts I would change for next time. Attending the workshop also made the Storytellers Project a little bit easier.
There are so many roles at the Detroit Food Academy from planning the summer program to evaluating the students’ experience during the summer. While I was assigned to the evaluation session I am still required to get involved with some of the other aspects of the program which is AMAZING. I am able to schedule the summer program with the youth by incorporating fun activities, games, field trips, and entrepreneur activities while also observe how the planning programs helped the organization reach their goals.
Detroit Food Academy aspires to produce leaderships skills in inner-city high school youth so they will be able to voice the opinion effectively, learn how to make the most out of a bad situation, and create dreams further than the things they see in Detroit. Detroit Food Academy wants to spark creative minds and adventurous souls by giving the youth the opportunity to be themselves in a welcoming environment. So far I have been amazing by the cool places in Detroit. It seems that the city is changing for the better and finding excellent is not so hard if you communicate with others. It is nice to know I have something to offer to the students other than a four side room ,but also an environment of freedom and creativity.
