www.ronnie-phillips.com                            

                                                                                    Creating a Culture of Achievement in the City of Detroit

      Introduction

     The Need for Community Involvement

• Beyond Schools: Education must be a collective responsibility.
• Vision for Detroit: “Every sector working together to ensure student success."
• Personal Commitment: “The Community’s Role in Motivating Urban Students Is Non-Negotiable”

 

       The Power of Motivation

• Key to Success: “Motivated students thrive.”
• Personal Reflection: Who or what motivated each of us?
• Motivational Stories:
• Student Exposure

• Lack of Positive Exposure: Many students miss essential experiences.
• The Impact of Exposure
• Create a Culture of Achievement in Detroit
• The Solution- A Community Approach

• Community Commitment: Working together to cultivate achievement.
• First Step: "Organize a city-wide initiative alongside local school teams.”
• Local Government: Building a Culture of Reading

• The Reading Gap: Personal survey results highlight disparities in reading habits.
• Proposed Solutions: Expanding library access, promoting literacy events, and integrating reading competitions. Open up new libraries and bookstores.
• Success Story: Steph Curry’s library initiative and potential bookstore openings in Detroit.

        Colleges: Exposure and Mentorship

• Historical Success Stories: The Golightly partnership with Wayne State University.
• Transformative Experiences: College engagement, tutoring programs, student mentorship, and partnerships. "Provide students with firsthand exposure to higher education through campus visits."
• Churches: Instilling Values and Mentorship

• The Role of Churches: Providing guidance, and a sense of purpose.
• Examples: Church oriented activities
• Potential Action: Churches to engage more deeply into youth development.
• How Partnerships Work:
• Businesses: Career Exposure
• Influence of Industry Leaders: Resources, Scholarships, internships, mentorship initiatives, field trips, speakers, incentives.

• Success Stories: YMCA program, Cody High School’s partnership with Ford Motor Company and Saturday mentorship.
• Future Steps: Bringing professionals into schools for career-focused discussions and programs.
• Strategies for Building Partnerships:
• Schools & Community: Partners in Success

• Beyond Traditional Education: Encourage community involvement in schools through events like health fairs, Black History Month celebrations, and career fairs.
• Expanding Access: Schools are community hubs offering educational and wellness resources.
• Community Engagement: Strengthening partnerships between educators and local organizations.
• Parents: Empowering Families to Raise Successful Children

• Parental Influence: Strategies for nurturing motivation and academic success at home.
• Proposed Programs: Parenting workshops, formula for raising successful children
• Success Stories:

       Media: Changing the Narrative

• Impact of Media: Broadcasting student achievements. (Weekly)
• Showcasing Positive Examples: Highlighting academic success, scholarships, internships, awards, athletic success, community involvement, and leadership achievements on air.
• Call for Change: Encouraging local media to be part of the solution.

       Conclusion

• Final Call to Action: Reinforcing collective responsibility in shaping student success.
• Vision for Detroit: A united community fostering achievement and ambition.

 “There is no power for change greater than

a community discovering what it cares about”       Margaret J. Wheatley