The Detroit Food Academy Summer Leadership Program (SLP) is geared towards assisting inner-city children with their entrepreneurial endeavors. DFA’s mission:1) Provide real employment to DFA students 2) Provide opportunities for DFA students to help develop their skills 3) Develop the Small Batch Detroit brand within local markets 4) Develop students as leaders. Students are involved in the total process of developing, packaging, and selling their products. This helps them create a sense of control, responsibility, and confidence to manage their own businesses.
My summer project “Storytellers” is designed to interview, record, and reflect on the experiences of DFA students throughout the summer. DFA wishes to utilize this information to improve and guide their growth. In order for my project to be successful, though, I needed to educate myself on the most effective ways to build relationships with children.This week, I attended a mentor training seminar which focused on planning, reflection, and cooperative learning strategies. These components are essential for building strong, productive relationships with children.
So far, I have enjoyed my community placement and the people I have met. My first week in Detroit has been very interesting because of the connections made through the mentor training session. Now, I am aware of other nonprofit organizations that operate within Detroit. We have exchanged contact information so that I may remain current with all the nonprofit events within the city. I have discovered many restaurants near the Green Garage (placement site) that sound great for future lunch dates. Also, I found North Cass Community Garden, which I cannot wait to check out! It seems like every day I stumble upon something new that adds to the greatness of Detroit.
