One thing I hope we are able to accomplish this summer is to have some kind of affiliation with "Detroit Summer." The organization is a "multi-racial, inter-generational collective in Detroit," that attempts to transform the Detroit community through "youth-led media arts projects and community-wide potlucks, speak-outs and parties."
One summer, they had a "video intensive" that resulted in a project called "Rising Up From the Ashes: Chronicles of a Dropout Hip Hop Audio Documentary." After conducting research on why students drop out, and more importantly, how they can be encouraged not to, they created a series of videos that focus on three themes: "Cooperative Economics" "Alternatives to Criminalization" and "Respect."
I am told that they also focus on urban gardening and volunteer work...
One of the major interests I've had in the last year or so is to collect all of the education-minded people I know (who are also at their wits end with regard to America's educational system) and put them to work in a dynamic environment with people who want to learn. It would be fun to conduct community and youth-focused workshops on our respective interests, such as bookmaking, printmaking, photography, journalism, bike repair/art (with The Hub of Detroit?), writing, composting, etc.
From the looks of their blog, it seems that most of the young folks affiliated with Detroit Summer probably have more to teach us than us them... but maybe we can team up and do some work together? I don't even know what's possible! But I'd like to find out.
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I am sending a copy of this to my friend. I hope she can come this summer. I am spreading the word dear cousin.
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