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Initiatives

The MSU-Detroit Partnerships office maintains its YouthVille facility to support collaborative research and programming that focuses on Detroit youth, community, and economic development. Groups that locate in the MSU-Detroit Partnerships office share the goal of working for community benefit, which creates a supportive environment for increased collaboration.

The following projects and initiatives are currently housed in the MSU-Detroit Partnerships office:

  • Children and Technology
    Linda A. Jackson, Professor, Department of Psychology
  • The project, funded by the National Science Foundation, is designed to examine the nature and extent of children’s use of information technology (IT), and how using IT effects children’s cognitive, social, psychological and moral development. View the Children and Technology Web site.
  • Composing: From Bach to Hip Hop
    Mark Sullivan, Associate Professor, College of Music
  • Composing: From Bach to Hip Hop teaches youth about composition and the use of digital media technology in the creative process. Students receive instruction in music composition and technology and participate in project-oriented activities. They acquire real-world skills through interaction with MSU faculty and professionals in the industry. They learn on equipment that is used in the workforce and at the collegiate level. This class meets throughout the academic year.
  • Detroit Youth Project
    Carl S. Taylor, Professor, Department of Sociology
  • The Detroit Youth Project was established to positively engage all youth throughout the diverse greater metropolitan Detroit community, irrespective of race, gender, gender preference/orientation, or social status. The clarion call for the project is inclusion, because positive urban youth development requires a foundation that understands the many variables that affect children and youth in urban communities. As a community partner, the Detroit Youth Project seeks to continually work in cooperation and collaboration with other groups and organizations that work for the benefit of our community's children, youth, and families.
  • MSU Extension – 4-H Detroit
    Rukeia Dasza Draw, Educator, MSU Extension
  • 4-H Detroit provides cutting-edge financial and entrepreneurship education to youth ages 11-19. The Be the E program developed by the 4-H Curriculum System allows youth to participate in planning experiences that provide the skills necessary to function successfully as entrepreneurs. The Business Plan Competition is implemented to give participants hands-on experience applying business functions. Innovative youth business ventures are showcased at a statewide convention. Start-up grants are awarded for promising business proposals to encourage youth to create businesses of their own. The NEFE High School Financial Planning Program teaches participants about sound money management skills and financial planning. Other program components include mentoring by financial experts and entrepreneurs, case studies, speakers, and field trips to local business development centers, business associations, and networking events.
  • MSU K-12 Outreach
    Irma Hamilton, Outreach Specialist, College of Education
  • Jointly sponsored by the College of Education's Office of K-12 Outreach and the Department of Educational Administration, K-12, Dr. Irma Hamilton will maintain an office in the Youthville suite in order to work closely with Detroit Public Schools on professional development efforts with school principals. Dr. Hamilton, whose position is funded by a grant from the Office of Inclusivity at MSU, is extensively involved with the Michigan Principal's Fellowship, which offers professional development and coordinates targeted assistance to principals in high need schools.
  • MSU Outreach Admissions
    Reynolda Brown, Assistant Director, MSU Office of Admissions
  • Michigan State University Outreach Admissions at Youthville Detroit hosts a number of programs with the financial aid office and with various colleges and departments from the MSU main campus. The recruitment programs highlight several of the over 200 majors that are offered at MSU. The MSU units that are highlighted this fall include: Honors College, James Madison College, Lyman Briggs College, Residential College in the Arts and Humanities, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, College of Nursing, College of Natural Science, College of Social Science, College of Engineering, Eli Broad College of Business, and the College of Education.
  • The Outreach Admissions Office hosts several on-site admissions programs where potential students come to the office with the proper documents – completed application, official high school transcripts, application fee (or waiver), completed personal statement, and ACT/SAT scores along with the writing portion – and are provided with an admissions decision before they leave the office.
  • MSU Outreach Admissions also conducts college preparation workshops and seminars with the registered members of Youthville Detroit. Office hours September through November, 2007 are every Wednesday, 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
  • MSU School of Social Work / Violence Against Women Research and Outreach Initiative
    Sheryl Pimlott Kubiak, Associate Professor, School of Social Work
    Liz Tillander, LLMSW, Detroit Project Coordinator
  • Supported by Michigan State University's School of Social Work and Violence Against Women Research and Outreach Initiative (VAWROI), this project focuses on the needs of women involved in the criminal justice system within Wayne County. Current projects include: 1) Working with personnel from the jail and community mental health system to determine the mental health needs of incarcerated women and implement an ongoing process for assessing mental health issues using a validated measure; 2) Assessing the needs and community resources for women involved in the criminal justice system who have experiences of physical and/or sexual assault; and 3) Development of an advocacy program that would provide assistance to women in their transition into the community.
  • Think Detroit Police Athletic League Evaluation
    Daniel Gould, Professor and Director, Institute for the Study of Youth Sports, Department of Kinesiology
  • Think Detroit Police Athletic League (TDPAL) is a nonprofit organization with a mission of building character in young people through athletic, academic, and leadership development programs. Athletic programs are its biggest effort as TDPAL offers a variety of seasonal programs in 11 different sports and serves nearly 13,000 Detroit youth with the help of 1,500 volunteers.
  • TDPAL has partnered with MSU's Institute for the Study of Youth Sport in an effort to develop a cutting edge volunteer leader training program and to evaluate the effects of its programs on positive youth development. The leader training program focuses on teaching coaches how to build relationships with young people and to enhance their self-esteem/worth. It also focuses on equipping coaches with the knowledge and tools needed to develop five attributes in program participants: a sense of purpose and positive view of the future; responsibility; integrity; perseverance; and compassion. The evaluation focuses on three key areas: (1) an assessment of context and participant background and needs; (2) whether TDPAL programs are meeting their character development objectives; and (3) the effects of leader training on coach behavior, program goals, and positive development in youth.