2023 Conference
Friday, October 20, 2023
The 2023 Michigan Pre-College and Youth Outreach 15th Annual Conference will be taking place in-person and livestreamed on October 20, 2023 at Wayne State University, Detroit, MI!
The 2023 conference will take place at the Wayne State University Student Center, located at 5221 Gullen Mall, Detroit, MI. Free parking is available at 450 W. Palmer, Detroit, MI.
The date of the conference is Friday, October 20, and it will take place from 8:00 – 4:30 PM. A hot breakfast will be served at 8:00 AM, and the Keynote Speaker will begin at 10:20 AM.
On the day of the conference, the check-in desk will open at 8:00 AM. The desk will be open throughout the event for any assistance or queries you may have.
Here is a link to our FAQ document and the conference schedule at a glance.
The Steering Committee is composed of 13 different educational institutions and organizations around the state of Michigan, with Wayne State University serving as this year’s conference host.
Our Keynote Speaker will be Andre Ebron, the Senior Director for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the United Way for Southeastern Michigan.
Conference admission also includes access to the optional Thursday night networking reception on October 19 from 6:00 – 9:00 PM, hosted by MCAN and DCAN, with free food, an open bar, and live jazz music, all provided by incredible Detroit Black-owned businesses at the Garden Theatre.
NOTE: all session blocks include 2 invited speakers and 5-6 proposal presentations as concurrent options for attendees
Better Together: Building Partnerships
In early 2023, the Steering Committee for the 15th Annual Conference came together to discuss the pressing challenges across the state. One topic continued to rise – rebuilding relationships that faltered or ended due to the conflicts of the pandemic.
Outreach is made possible by trust in relationships and partnerships between schools, higher education institutions, and community-based organizations. Focus on mutually beneficial priorities is needed for the changing landscape of education and the future workforce, as well as, the level of urgency regarding college applications.
This year, the 2023 Michigan Pre-College and Outreach Conference will focus on “Better Together: Building Partnerships.” The statewide dialogue will surround how best to develop and enhance partnerships across schools, higher education institutions, community-based organizations, foundations, businesses, and more.
Whether an attendee is a new professional or has worked in outreach for 20+ years, everyone will be able to enjoy their time surrounded by passionate individuals focused on the success of current and future students. Join us on October 20, 2023, for the all-day conference, filled with presentations, workshops, and panels focused on how best to establish, rebuild and deepen partnerships across the state for all students.
This workshop will orient attendees to best practice strategies that help young people in Detroit navigate the many post-secondary education and training opportunities available. Youth development leaders from four high-impact organizations will share their best practice strategies and engage the audience in a problem-solving activity exploring ways to strengthen the overall system so that more young people get exposure and opportunities to explore potential career pathways of interest both in school and over the summer.
SpeakersTomorrow’s Talent Series allows students to discover careers and learn about businesses through videos, interviews, and activities. We work with schools and teachers to incorporate these videos into their classrooms to help bridge the gap created by restrictions on in-person field trips and guest speakers. We have already gathered 15,000+ views across more than 60 videos! This presentation will highlight our partnerships with local businesses and organizations to create career exploration content for students and how we can further develop and leverage these partnerships for additional impactful engagement for students and educators.
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Learn how Schoolcraft College has built a strong partnership with Persistence Plus, a behavioral science and technology organization, to introduce mySchoolcraft Support. This automated texting platform marries mobile technology, nudge theory, and data analytics to provide personalized retention support to students. Schoolcraft is also leveraging mySchoolcraft Support as part of their campus-wide strategy to re-engage degree-seeking students who have stepped away from their education.
SpeakersJoin U-M Ross School of Business & the U-M Center for Educational Outreach as their presenters discuss maximizing pre-college application data to enhance admission pipelines. Using Ross Case Scenarios, learn how to find the “best fit” program for students, reject students from pre-college programs without discouraging them from applying to your university, and much more!
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Learn how the U-M Michigan Engineering Zone brings three STEM outreach/college pipeline opportunities to Detroit students each year and how we sustain these programs through collaborative partnerships with schools, the city, private businesses, and industry partners.
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The workplace has drastically changed over the last few years. Join industry leaders and higher education professionals for a discussion on the changing landscape of education, the future of the workforce, and building the School(K-12 & Colleges/Universities) to Industry Pipeline.
SpeakersGiving hope to students who have been through difficult times in school and life is one of the single most important things we can do to increase student participation and retention. Having students realize that the pain they’ve gone through is not pointless but can actually be used as a tool to learn from and create purpose from. But how do we do it? How do we reach students who are tuning out more than ever? Students are dealing with challenges that no other generation has dealt with in the past that have completely changed the landscape of what the future will look like. During this presentation, Schwartzen Precil explains his specific process of how any student can go from pain to purpose. This isn’t just a highly research driven presentation, Schwartzen lived. From growing up in the Foster Care system to being homeless and nearly imprisoned. He used the process he will teach to your students that turned his life around, graduated from college, become an award-winning author, professional athlete and national speaker.
SpeakerJoin Melissa Thompson as she discusses the journey of building a community-centered pediatric practice in the heart of Detroit. This presentation emphasizes the significance of responsible community engagement by forging partnerships and collaborations with business associates, community-based organizations, universities, and schools. Discover how these efforts have improved healthcare access and outcomes for underserved communities, exemplifying a holistic and impactful care model.
SpeakerVarious factors can make building relationships and providing educational opportunities complex in rural communities. Several challenges can be identified: 1) distance between population and service provider, 2) engagement of students, families, and their communities in educational opportunities, and 3) trust-building. These challenges have inspired Michigan Tech’s GEAR UP to bring frequent opportunities directly to the school or community. This presentation will cover how MTU GEAR UP addresses the challenges faced by our rural communities.
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We know firsthand the transformative power of hands-on educational experiences in career exploration and development. However, many current programs offering these career experiences focus only on technical skills, leaving behind the development of critical interpersonal skills (aka soft skills) such as teamwork, communication, leadership, and critical thinking, which the World Economic Forum has highlighted as being among the top 10 skills of 2025. This session will explore how we’ve adapted our flagship Engineering Scholars and Women in Engineering Pathway Programs at Michigan Technological University to develop students’ skill sets holistically.
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Sponsored by Michigan College Access Network (MCAN), Ready, Set, Audition is a free program to support students of color applying to music colleges that require an audition. This program is led by Rodney Whitaker, MSU Professor of Jazz and Director of Diversity Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, in collaboration with the College of Music’s Color Me Music student group, the MSU College of Music Admission, MSU Federal Credit Union, and the MSU Community Music School-Detroit.
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The Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), opening in 2022, was celebrated by a dance piece entitled “Of Equal Place: Isotopes in Motion.” The primary creator was the award-winning Dance Exchange from Maryland in collaboration with Lansing-based Happendance. These FRIB-supported shows told the story of FRIB research through movement, sound, and video. Workshops and laboratory tours followed each performance for the attendees. This presentation will explore and demonstrate how this unique partnership successfully utilized dance to celebrate physics, reach new audiences, and advance equity, diversion & inclusion through arts and science.
SpeakersMental health awareness has grown in recent years, but those that need support often outnumber the resources available. Yoga, meditation, and mindful breathing are helpful tips, but can more be done proactively to assist students? Taking an intentional approach to mental health, ECE at the University of Michigan has created an approach for all staff to partner to support mental health within the department.
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Disparities in access to career exploration and professional development opportunities can make navigating the workforce, post-secondary education, and the transition into adulthood difficult, especially for young people from under-resourced communities. SummerWorks is a community collaborative partnership developed to address this gap in Washtenaw County by creating spaces for youth to explore careers, build professional skills, and engage in mentorship. In this workshop, we will use our program as a case study to demonstrate how community asset mapping can be used to identify and develop partnerships, particularly in career exploration and development.
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Higher education can offer refugee and immigrant youth a route to economic advancement and improved quality of life. However, the decision to pursue college poses unique challenges and considerations. This study examines refugee and immigrant students’ motivations and perceptions of college and their career aspirations. Findings revealed a strong desire to go to college and pursue a STEM career, an unfamiliarity with the college application process, and a preference for community colleges. This study yields important insights regarding how high schools can guide refugee and immigrant youth in the college choice process.
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Students live in the digital age with access to more content and information than ever. Given the ease and rate at which they consume content, we need to help students develop the skills to evaluate the information’s credibility and the source’s possible motive. Unboxed Challenges™ give students hands-on experience developing information literacy skills through the lens of their preferred career choice: social media influencer.
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Global Youth Advancement Network (GYAN) at Michigan State University has hosted an annual regional essay competition for 15–24-year-olds to advocate for their communities and share their opinions and stories about local and national challenges. The Global Voices Essay Contest presents valuable opportunities for young people to reflect on local and national challenges, share their ideas and proposed solutions with the world, and give back to their communities through innovation and knowledge. The contest–along with the way it forges connections and fosters collaboration across local and global networks–is critical to empowering the young individuals who will become the world’s leaders.
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Education is often expected to be a pathway to a better life, and therefore, parents want their children to be successfully employable upon graduation. That path, however, is rarely simple, with numerous challenges that must be navigated. The presenters of this workshop collaborate at length to support student success with knowledge and resources to mitigate various financial and career barriers. Participants of this interactive program will: 1) experience a creative collaboration considering current career and financial wellness factors and 2) learn resources that help students navigate career and financial questions in college.
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Presenters did an activity with a group of high school students to discuss post-secondary and various options and how vital it is to have a PLAN. This engaging activity emphasized the power of choice for students to be aware of their options and choose the right pathway for them when they graduate high school.
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Erik, Deborah, and Robert have a cooperative, sustained, and effective K-12 and university outreach partnership that has brought 250 students from Waverly High School to the MSU libraries during the 2020 and 2023 school years (interrupted by the COVID pandemic). In our workshop, we will describe our outreach partnership and the genocide education event it produces and guide how workshop participants can build their own K-12/university outreach partnerships and events. Participants will leave the workshop with a plan to conduct their program.
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As educational institutions strive to create inclusive and equitable learning environments, the importance of culturally responsive approaches has become increasingly evident. This workshop aims to highlight exemplary case studies and best practices from Michigan campuses and pre-college outreach programs that effectively meet students where they are and cultivate culturally responsive environments. This workshop will equip participants with practical tools to foster an inclusive and supportive learning experience for all students by sharing successful strategies and innovative approaches.
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This presentation will provide best practices for effective collaboration between GEAR UP, School District Leaders and community partners to maximize resources and minimize duplication of services. Participants that will benefit from this session include GEAR UP/TRIO professionals, teachers, counselors, administrators and community partners that work closely with any GEAR UP and/or TRIO program.
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Learn about and experience some of Michigan Engineering’s EO1O1 curriculum, designed to help K-12 scholars (regardless of their background and identities) understand they deserve to be on a college campus. The curriculum also addresses some social-emotional tools and resources that will help students succeed in college. This workshop will explore the curriculum and model some of the key activities.
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This year, a new partnership to benefit talented students began between the Honors College, Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) GATE, MSU Detroit Center, and MSU’s GATE. The collaboration also featured Detroit-based artists, MSU faculty, and the leadership team to help students build college readiness early and see the city of Detroit differently. During this session, we’ll discuss centering collaborative work on shared values as a critical component of initiating a new project. Participants will also learn how to structure a new partnership to make sustainable connections that benefit youth.
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The University of Michigan’s Detroit River Story Lab is a collaborative research and education initiative that partners with regional organizations to reconnect local communities with the river and its stories. Following a brief overview of our place-based, experiential learning programs on the river, the presentation team will offer reflections on the challenges and opportunities involved in forging successful partnerships between academic and community partners in programs of this kind.
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This presentation highlights successful strategies The Detroit Promise Scholarship uses in developing key partnerships with Detroit Schools, students, and community-based organizations. Key approaches include building strong relationships through open communication, tailoring communication for each partner and student, engaging students through workshops and events, maintaining a transparent application process, and tracking progress with data-driven insights. These strategies fostered fruitful partnerships and positively impacted students and the community through the scholarship program.
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Professor Kahn has overseen the dual development of a powerful and unique teaching philosophy, centered around “loving and believing in kids”, and a revolutionary new K-12 math curriculum. He has worked to implement them in both inner-city and suburban public schools with dramatic results. Over the years, Professor Kahn has earned numerous awards and honors, including the Detroit Public Schools “Outstanding Educator Award”, the Mathematical Association of America’s Michigan Section “Award for Distinguished University or College Teaching” and an honorary Doctorate from Oakland University for his work in the furtherance of social justice.
