>> ... Next Generation ...

Iman Taylor of MUSE, who won second place
and $750 for her program

It was a packed house for the first Do It For Detroit event.

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Do It For Detroit Fund awards its first micro-grants.

JACKIE HEADAPOHL I MANAGING EDITOR

he first micro-grants from the Do It For
Detroit Fund were awarded Feb. 9 at the
Woodbridge Community Youth Center
in Detroit, where 150 people came to
nosh, have fun and vote for their favorite proposal
to improve education in the city of Detroit.
"The event was a huge success," said Josh
Kanter, who leads the program for the NEXTGen
Detroit department of the Jewish Federation
of Metro Detroit. "It was a genuine feel-good
experience with a lot of diversity: city/suburb, race,
identity ... We were thrilled to see such a great
cross section of the community in attendance,
supporting what we all agree is important work in
creating the positive change that we want to see in
the education of youth in Detroit."
After gathering 120 votes from attendees,
Scholarship Detroit, led by Joy Mohammed, was
the big winner of a $3,000 micro-grant. A Grand
Valley State grad, Mohammed was able to procure
$100,000 for college by aggressively going after
scholarships. With her grant money, she wants to
help other Detroiters learn the skills of getting
scholarship money and the financial responsibilities
of attending college.
The Detroit Food and Enterpreneurship Academy,
a program that teaches students about the ethics
of food production and sales and helps them create
and sell their own products, won a $750 grant, as
did MotorCity Urban Summer Enrichment (MUSE), a
program that aims to introduce students to multiple
aspects of education through creative curriculums
and seminars taught by undergraduate college
students. Both projects tied for second place.
Money for the Do It Detroit Fund — $66,000 —
was raised at last August's annual Pitch For Detroit
charity softball tournament.

30 February 21 • 2013

II Ryan Landau and Aaron Scheinfield, NEXTGen

The event was the first of five planned Do It
for Detroit community events. The next set of
micro-grants will go to social action proposals
based on the theme of improving environmental
sustainability in Detroit. Applications for the grants
will be accepted starting next week, and the date
for the next event will be announced soon. For
more information, visit www.doitfordetroit.com . ❑

Detroit chairs

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Ben Falik and Josh Kanter, who are helping to
administer the DI4D Fund

El Joy Mohammed of Detroit won a $3,000 grant for
her Scholarship Detroit program.

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Mike Wilson, owner of the Woodbridge Community

Youth Center