The aspect of my letter that stood out to me the most was not how much my perception has changed, but rather how little. To be more specific, how much my perception of Ecoworks has remained relatively constant. My coworkers remained incredibly friendly for the duration of my time there, and every new person …
Overall I have learned a substantial amount during our group meetings, whether that be a formal event or a student-planned activity. From the Tuesday meetings, I’ve learned a significant amount about the history of Detroit and how that history led to the gentrification of the city. I’m very grateful for this knowledge due to the …
One of the most notable experiences that I’ve had occurred after reading “How to Kill a City” and learning about how many skyscrapers Dan Gilbert owns, and how much influence he has over the politics of the city. We were walking by Campus Martius and I looked up and thought about how Dan Gilbert owns …
It’s crazy to think that we are already halfway through the program, it seems like the first month flew by. Although it seems like a reasonably long time, especially when it comes to getting to know people, the cohort is only just beginning to really open up and get to know each other which has …
https://www.freep.com/story/money/business/john-gallagher/2019/07/02/detroit-development-boss-critics-tax-incentives/1617543001/ I’ve learned a significant amount about what Detroit’s history is like, and how the city declined economically, but I haven’t heard much about how it’s doing now so it was interesting to see that perspective. Additionally, while I’ve heard about the significant population decline in the 1950s, I didn’t realize how large that decline …
The most noticeable cultural cue that I’ve seen has simply been the workplace culture. There seems to be a widely accepted culture at Ecoworks that everyone adheres to and is quite consistent for the most part. That culture is primarily the understanding that this organization is here to do good in the Detroit area and …
Overall in both my community organization and within the Detroit area I’ve noticed the prevalence of power dynamics and a constant struggle to gain change them. In my community organization it’s a constant battle against DTE Energy. The past few weeks we have been working to get ready for a greenhouse gas inventory in Ypsilanti. …
As time passes, I am starting to get more and more used to the routine of being in Detroit: driving, working, cooking, and the crowds. Additionally, I’m gaining a much better understanding of the scope of what EcoWorks does and some of the bigger projects they are working on. Overall I would say that their …
Dear Brandon, The first few days of working at EcoWorks have gone well; my colleagues are friendly and helpful, and everyone here seems incredibly passionate about creating a sustainable future for Detroit. I hope that I will soon share this enthusiasm and will be able to do my part to improve the quality of this …
