The Skillman Foundation

Yesterday, we had a robust, positive conversation on Twitter about the state of education in Detroit for #EdMattersHere week. I hope you were able to join us. If not, we’ll be sharing a Storify soon so you can see what you missed.

I also hope you were encouraged and inspired all week long as we talked about education in Detroit. I hope you learned something you didn’t know.

If you want to stay involved, keep following the hashtag #EdMattersHere. The conversation about education and why it is central to Detroit’s future – and about the stories of success that so often get overlooked – is just beginning.

If this week of conversation has inspired you, here are ways to learn more, get more involved or take a small step to keep progress moving forward on education in Detroit.

• Share a piece of content or a Tweet that caught your attention.
• Talk with the Detroit Chamber of Commerce about their Charter School Board Pipeline Project.
• Volunteer to be on the community review process team with Excellent Schools Detroit.
• Join the DPS Reading Corp. Or check out other DPS options.
• Explore what 826Michigan is doing with literary arts in Detroit.
• Contact Big Brothers Big Sisters Detroit and ask about mentoring a child.
• Use the Excellent Schools Detroit scorecard to find out how the schools in your neighborhood rank. Or share it with parents you know who might need it.
• If you are a Detroit resident, step up to keep your neighborhood safer by volunteering for a citizen patrol. Contact the Man Network, Brothers on Patrol, or Made Men. Or volunteer through DPS.
• As a voter in Detroit, look at the candidates with an eye on what agenda they have for children. How are they committed to making schools better, neighborhoods safer, youth employment opportunities available and youth development a priority?
• Be a caring adult in a child’s life. Whether it’s a child on your street, a relative, someone connected to an organization you volunteer for, be there for a child.
• What happens in Lansing can have a big impact on children in neighborhoods in Detroit. Connect with Students First or Ed-Trust Midwest to find out what types of policy movements are underway and how they will affect children you care about.
• If you live in Cody Rouge, Southwest Detroit, Osborn or Brightmoor, find out about the resident-driven governance councils in your neighborhood. There are tons of efforts underway that they can connect you with.
• Attend a Partner Morning at Cornerstone Schools.

There are so many ways to get involved. As Kristen McDonald said in the Twitter chat, what if every Detroiter committed four hours to something like tutoring in math? It’s a lofty goal, but if the future of Detroit matters to us all, education matters to us all. Let’s keep the conversation moving forward.