Through the Detroit Community-Engaged Research Program (DCERP), undergraduate students
from the U-M spend the summer working with a wide variety of Detroit non-profits on research and creative projects led by the organizations themselves. Fellows participating in this 9-week program are paid a stipend, provided housing in Detroit, and become part of an intentional learning community that shares a passion for social justice and making change. DCERP fellows attend program meetings and form small collaborative learning groups that delve into topics of mutual interest, such as getting to know the city, its culture and history through a social justice lens, community engagement, personal growth and professional development. The program culminates with a public showcase, during which DCERP fellows present about their projects and the insights they have gained.
2024 DCERP Fellows Project Profiles
Alexis Bell
Hello my name is Alexis Bell (she/her). I am a rising junior at U-M majoring in psychology and minoring in political science. This summer I am working with the City of Detroit’s Civil Rights, Inclusion and Opportunity department (CRIO). CRIO’s goal is to hear the voices of Detroit and handle complaints, assure accessibility, and work to provide opportunities for Detroit businesses and youth. I am working under CRIO’s policy and data team, which focuses on ensuring that the other departments in CRIO follow the city charter and analyzing the data from other departments. The data can include the budget for each project, percentage of the population affected by a policy and more. I am working on voter engagement, education and community building. The main focus of the project is to create a resource that details Detroit’s political history, how important voting is for people and how people can vote. A secondary goal is to plan a community building event that gets people all over the city involved and hopefully in parts of the city they normally would not visit. For me it is important to emphasize voter education and participation especially with the younger generation, I feel that voter education for the youth is lacking and causes people to be discouraged about voting.
Breeana-Iris Rosario
Hello, my name is Breeana Rosario. (she/her) I am a junior at the University of Michigan majoring in political science. I am currently interning at the City of Detroit Office of civil rights, inclusion, and opportunity, through the Detroit community engaged research program. The mission of Crio is to remove discriminatory barriers and benefit Detroiters. Our research project this summer revolves around trying to inform Detroiters on why their vote in elections is so important, and looking at ways to try to make voting more accessible to Detroiters. This project is so important to me because as a Detroiter I have seen firsthand how hard it can be to vote in the city! I hope to help improve my city!
Brenda Garcia
Hello, my name is Brenda Garcia (she/her). I am a rising junior majoring in Political Science at the University of Michigan. I'm currently a U-M DCERP fellow with the Southwest Detroit Community Justice Center.The Southwest Detroit Community Justice Center is dedicated to promoting restorative justice practices and community empowerment in Southwest Detroit. We focus on enhancing community resilience and fostering positive social change through our programs.I am researching community-driven approaches to justice reform, particularly examining how restorative justice can address systemic issues within our local justice system. This includes studying the impact of culturally responsive practices.This work is important to me because I believe in promoting restorative justice to foster a more equitable and inclusive justice system.
Brigette Zamor
Hello, my name is Brigette Zamor. I am a rising junior, and I am majoring in Community and Global Public Health with a minor in Business. This summer, I am a U-M DCERP fellow interning at Hitha Healing House, specifically with their Nurturing Roots Maternal Wellness Program. Hitha Healing House is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing awareness of health disparities in minority communities and providing resources to Michigan families to improve their well-being. Hitha Healing House takes a holistic approach to well-being, intending to nurture the mind, body, and soul. Currently, I am focused on doing research to increase awareness of the need for postpartum care among mothers, as well as creating a resource list for them. The work I am doing with the maternal health program is very important to me because of how little information there is on postpartum care and how important the need for postpartum support is. Additionally, this fellowship will aid me in my career path as I hope to explore future maternal health jobs.
Freonia Pinto
Hello! My name is Freonia (she/her) and I’m a rising sophomore majoring in Public Health Sciences at U-M. This summer I am a research intern at Brilliant Detroit, a nonprofit that helps families with young children be healthy and stable by providing programs based on four pillars: family, health, education, and community. These programs are offered throughout the year in Brilliant Detroit homes across 17 different neighborhoods in the city, serving diverse populations. As an intern I am working with Brilliant Detroit’s community engagement team to create a new program called “Brilliant On The Go”. It will be presented at schools, daycares, and community centers to children and their parents to spread awareness of Brilliant Detroit’s mission and encourage families to participate in their programs. “Brilliant On The Go'' introduces what Brilliant Detroit is, our programs, our impact, and families will get to participate in a compressed preview of one of our programs to learn what they are like. Through “Brilliant On The Go” we hope to increase the number of families who come to Brilliant Detroit houses and provide them with safety and community. I am excited to see the impact my project will have on the community.
Kailah Hawkins
My name is Kailah (she/her). I’m majoring in community and global public health, double minoring in French and Intergroup relations. I’m interning for the Office of Homeless and Foster Care at Detroit Public Schools Community District. Our primary goal is to remove barriers to education for students experiencing homelessness. Our definition of homelessness can range from being unsheltered or staying in shelter, doubled up with a friend or family member but experiencing transitional housing, or residing in a hotel or motel. We also service unaccompanied youth, meaning the child is not in the presence of a legal guardian or parent. Throughout the school year, we work to identify and provide resources to K-12 students experiencing homelessness. Once these students are identified as homeless and eligible for our services, we provide assistance such as transportation, school uniforms, backpacks, food, coats, shoes and more to support students throughout the school year. Assistance is also provided during summer school. During my internship, I’m working on recreating the PSA, assisting with reidentifying homeless students for the next school year, and compiling data around trends over the previous years to find areasof improvement. My internship has given me exposure to a more technical side of public health. It’s given me real field experience and a glimpse of the kind of work I could do in the future.
Liam Benton
Hello, my name is Liam Benton. My pronouns are he/him, and I am a rising Junior at the University of Michigan Majoring in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience. In addition, I am a member of the Detroit Community Engaged Research Program.
This summer, I am interning with LGBT Detroit, whose mission is to activate, amplify, and sustain LGBT+ culture, education, advocacy, and human rights. In addition, it is North America’s largest Black founded and led LGBT+ nonprofit.
With LGBT Detroit, I have been helping plan their Pride Event, called Hotter Than July. I ‘m focusing on communicating both internal and external details of the event. For example I have been writing Press Releases and promoting the event on Social Media.
This research is very important to me because I have very important personal relationships with members of the LGBT+ community, including those who face threats of violence somewhat regularly. I want to help in any way possible to create a safe space for them to advocate for themselves.
Nina Meng
Hello, my name is Nina Meng(she/her). I’m a rising Junior majoring in business administration. This summer, I am interning through the Detroit Community Engagement Research Program. I am a research assistant at the Clark Park Coalition, a nonprofit organization affiliated with the City of Detroit. The Southwest communities have shared a rich cultural heritage since the 1920s, with many immigrants from Mexico arriving in search of better job opportunities. Over the years, Southwest Detroit has evolved into a vibrant working-class neighborhood, predominantly populated by black and brown communities. Notably, more than 40% of households in the area have children under the age of 18. At Clark Park, we offer diverse, high-quality recreational, educational, social, and mentoring programs for Southwest Detroit families, aiming to foster youth development into responsible and self-confident adults. My primary goals are to enhance community engagement and develop advanced youth programs through in-depth research on resource leverage and data collection. I have conducted research on the demographics of the youth population in Southwest Detroit and strategized program structures to optimize the youth experience, with the ultimate aim of bettering the community and increasing social engagement.I am passionate about this project because it offers meaningful work and valuable experience, leading to tangible growth. Supporting the underprivileged and driving social impact will broaden my perspective and deepen my understanding of the Southwest Detroit community.
Noor Khanafer
Hello! My name is Noor and I’m a rising sophomore at the University of Michigan, where I’m studying political science. This summer, as a DCERP fellow, I’ll be working with Dream of Detroit, a non-profit focused on community organizing, economic development, and housing development for Detroit’s westside community.My research project is focused on studying and learning more about DREAM’s policy and legal initiatives that benefit the local community. I’m learning more about DREAM’s Community Land Trust as it’s in its preliminary stages with the goal to offer affordable housing to the community. As a part of my community engaged participatory research, I am also working on transcribing and developing The Storytelling Project, DREAM’s film documenting the social justice efforts of Black Muslims in Detroit. DREAM serves Detroit’s Muslim community through affordable housing initiatives such as the Community Land Trust, economic development, and community organizing. It’s admirable that DREAM’s founders and leaders are community members working together to give back to their communities through such initiatives. I’m hoping to learn more about and contribute to their efforts, as I hope to do more community-based work in my future and continue to give back.
Peace Odiase
Hello! My name is Peace Odiase, and I’m a rising senior majoring in Community & Global Public Health and Psychology. I also have a minor in Community Action and Social Change. I’m interning with Keep Growing Detroit (KGD) this summer. KGD’s mission is to promote a food sovereign city of Detroit where all fruits and vegetables consumed by residents are grown by residents. KGD operates an urban farm and programs to create sustainable change in Detroit’s food system. I am helping develop and implement the Summer Youth Apprenticeship program, which provides teenagers with opportunities to form a community with one another while practicing gardening, financial literacy, operating farmers’ markets, and making farm-to-table meals. I appreciate the opportunity to work for KGD because their work aligns with my passion for addressing health inequities through systemic change and creating sustainable communities. I admire how KGD is taking a community-based approach to addressing public health issues affecting their communities, like food apartheid and food insecurity. I hope that by the end of the summer, I can learn what creating sustainable change looks like on the community level and apply that to my future work in public health.
Rattanna Abdellatif
Hello, my name is Rattanna, and my pronouns are she/her. I am a recent graduate of Henry Ford College and a rising junior at Wayne State University. I’m studying public relations, with a minor in journalism. I am thrilled to be a U of M DCERP Fellow this summer.I have the exciting opportunity to work with DREAM (Detroit Revival Engaging American Muslims) in Detroit. DREAM is dedicated to revitalizing neighborhoods on the Westside of Detroit through a blend of community organizing and strategic housing and land development to address Detroit’s economic downturns and systemic injustices that have negatively affected many culturally rich and determined African American communities.I meet with the community at the DREAM office, inside The Muslim Center. Public relations is all about building relationships with the community while also representing a company to the public. I’m working on fliers, helping with newsletters, creating content, and writing reports about our events. Over the past few weeks, my experience with DREAM has been life-changing. The community here feels like family, and I’m continuously inspired by everyone in the DREAM community.In such a short time, I've already learned so much! Dream of Detroit isn't just a workplace for me—it's a true home. I'm thrilled to continue learning while helping DREAM make the possibilities into realities.
Sabrina Lin
Hello, my name is Sabrina (she/her). I'm a sophomore majoring in computer science. This summer, I am participating in U of M’s Detroit Community-Engaged Research Program (DCERP).
I am working with Southwest Detroit Business Association, a non-profit that fosters an equitable and diverse business community in Southwest Detroit. They offer a variety of services such as improving local infrastructure and storefronts, hosting local events, helping owners navigate new options for their businesses, and preserving the signature Hispanic culture of the area with an afterschool program.
I will be working on revitalizing SDBA’s atrium by showcasing different artists for each month. With these artists, I hope to capture the unique artistic ecosystem of Southwest Detroit which is majority Latino. I will also be helping with tourism development in the area by creating a website to promote “Experience Southwest Detroit” and aiding the grant writing process.
These two tasks reflect who I am. I have worked in my family’s Mexican restaurant since I was 8 years old. For me, business being slow meant that my family’s livelihood was being threatened. By bringing more people in the area with tourism at SDBA, I hope to keep the community and businesses active. Besides being a restaurant kid, I am also an artist and an art appreciator. I am a firm believer in the phrase “art is meant to be shared.” My work in the atrium perfectly reflects this value. Being able to support people like me is what makes my actions so meaningful to me this summer.
Shravya Ghantasala
Hello, my name is Shravya (she/her). I’m a rising sophomore majoring in Public Health Sciences. This summer, I’m participating in the DCERP fellowship working with a non-profit called Brilliant Detroit.
Brilliant Detroit focuses on elementary school readiness through a holistic approach, providing resources and support to both children and their families based on community-reported needs. There are 19 locations spread out in different neighborhoods within Detroit to help meet families where they are at and support theintellectual, social and emotional growth of their young children.
I work in the Health Department at Brilliant, where I help with internal tasks as well as community-facing work. I am working on streamlining resources and educational material for families by updating a resource guide and scheduling Health Nights, and I am also facilitating summer camp classes for children to learn about growing plants and botany as well as fun ways to exercise.
I believe that the work Brilliant does is important because instilling sustainable habits and educational guidance early can set them up for success in the future.
