Welcoming new neighbors + Building Community

Building Community, With Community, and in Community

On November 11, 2023, a mild Saturday morning, Marygrove Community Association (MCA) members, friends, and neighbors on November 11, 2023, a mild Saturday morning, members of the Marygrove Community Association (MCA), along with friends and neighbors, joined the faculty, staff, and students of the University of Michigan Ann Arbor Marsal Family School of Education for a day of celebration. The Building Community, With Community, and in Community event was an opportunity to highlight, connect, and celebrate community while welcoming and introducing our newest community partner, Learning, Equity, and Problem Solving for the Public Good (LEAPS), a new undergraduate program of the University of Michigan Ann Arbor Marsal Family School of Education.

The day was divided into three parts: (1) a learning journey neighborhoods tour, (2) a community lunch and mixer at MCA's Indiana Street Garden, and (3) an introductory and feedback session of the LEAPS program held at the neighborhood School at Marygrove Elementary.

Building Community, With Community, and in Community event programs

Part I: NeighBorhoods Tour and Learning Journey

A tour of neighborhoods surrounding the Marygrove campus led by City Institute. Locally, City Institute provides a deeper understanding of Detroit’s assets, history, and challenges so its residents and stakeholders can be better equipped to shape an equitable and thriving Detroit. Participants were welcomed by Marsal Family School of Education dean Elizabeth Birr Moje and Marygrove Community Association president Fred Watkins. Some of the tours stops included Brilliant Detroit's Fitzgerald neighborhood house and Detroit Sip coffee shop on W. McNichols. 

Part II: Marygrove Community Association Lunch and Mixer

The Marygrove Community Association hosted a community celebration lunch ad mixer at its Indiana Street Community Garden, with framing remarks for the event offered by State of Michigan poet Laureate Nandi Comer. LEAPS co-faculty lead and MCA member Leslie Rupert Herrenkohl also offered remarks conveying the LEAPS program's desire to be a good neighbor in the Fitzgerald community.

Part III: Learning, Equity, and Problem Solving for the Public Good (LEAPS)

An interactive introduction session to the LEAPS program was held on the Marygrove Conservancy campus, its future home. Co-faculty leads professors Barry Fishman and Leslie Rupert Herrenkohl provided an overview of the program before engaging attendees in question and answer and feedback sessions. 

This event was made possible by a partnership between MCA and LEAPS. It included leadership and support from Rachel Cappadona, Nick Tarver, Destiny Tarver, Fatima Nelson, Jay Meeks, Leslie Rupert Herrenkohl, Danielle Dimcheff Barry Fishman, and Elizabeth Birr Moje.

The Marygrove Community Association is grateful for the sponsorship offered by the Marsal Family School of Education.

About Marygrove Community Association (MCA)

The Marygrove Community Association is a vibrant and impactful Detroit-based non-profit organization situated in the heart of the Fitzgerald neighborhood.

As a cornerstone of community development, MCA brings together more than 700 diverse households, businesses, houses of worship, and four educational institutions. Upholding the spirit of unity and collective action, MCA is a voluntary neighborhood association committed to driving positive change within our shared community.

Through relentless advocacy, proactive outreach, and innovative programming, MCA works tirelessly to uplift the lives of residents, enhance the quality of services, and foster a sense of belonging for all stakeholders.

MCA is organized within the following boundaries: W. McNichols (N), Puritan (S), Greenlawn (E), and Wyoming (W).

Learn more about MCA at marygroveca.org

About Learning, Equity, and Problem Solving for Public Good (LEAPS)

LEAPS is a first-of-its-kind undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan Marsal Family School of Education. LEAPS students learn how to support people to work together effectively to create change. By developing strong collaboration, communication, and leadership skills, LEAPS students become “learning leaders” who know how to partner with peers, communities, and organizations. Through coursework and experiential learning opportunities, students understand social structures and histories related to race, ethnicity, gender, language, ability, and nationality. LEAPS blends the world-changing capabilities of a leading public research university with community-based learning on the beautiful Marygrove campus in Detroit. During the first year, students live and learn together in Detroit as a cohort before defining individualized pathways toward future careers.

Learn more about LEAPS at marsal.umich.edu/leaps