ANN ARBOR—-More than two dozen Detroit-area high school students are delaying their summer vacations by one week for the good of others. They’re participating in “Creating Community Change,” a project sponsored by the University of Michigan’s Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives and the Ginsberg Center for Community Service and Learning. The goal of the program is to help kids become more aware of the impact of volunteering and community involvement and help them develop a plan of action to better their own communities.

The students arrived at the U-M campus on June 21 and will stay through June 29. They came as teams representing five different schools: Ypsilanti High School, Lincoln Consolidated High School, Flint Central High School, Wayne Memorial High School, and the Ann Arbor Youth Empowerment Project (Huron, Community and Pioneer high schools).

The program is designed to inform and motivate young people to become leaders in multicultural community change. It helps them understand how they can make a difference in their communities and world. In return, program organizers hope the students walk away with a better idea of who they are and help them build bridges across multicultural boundaries.

Throughout the week-long workshop, students heard from community leaders and others who “create community change” in their neighborhoods. The students also discussed their community’s needs and strengths. Teams developed action plans for change and presented their plans to the group as a whole.

Once the students leave on June 29, it’s time to get to work. They will be responsible for implementing their “community change” project. For six months following the workshop, participants will send progress reports to the program sponsors. Each report will include information on what the team has done and what they hope to accomplish in the future.

Two teams have already announced their plans for “Creating Community Change.” Wayne Memorial High School students are working on ways to prevent “Teen Pregnancy,” and the Ann Arbor students are involved in Youth Empowerment Senate (YES!). Students hope that through Youth Empowerment Senate (YES!) they will have a stronger voice in community decision making, especially at school board and city council meetings.

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EDITORS: If you would like more information or would like to interview students or representatives from the Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives or the Ginsberg Community Service Learning Center, contact Lesley Harding at (248) 360-9415.

Pager: (888) 761-6263

Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives