Funders, Community Partners Collaborate on Summer Programming in Detroit’s Parks
Photo: Pistons Neighbors Program, Zussman Park
Photo: Pistons Neighbors Program, Romanowski Park
Thousands of Detroit youth and families will be able to enjoy summer programming at 19 parks and other sites
The Detroit Pistons, Detroit Parks Coalition, the City of Detroit, and community organizations across the city are collaborating to support summer programming for youth and families across Detroit’s neighborhoods. With funding provided by the William Davidson Foundation, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, and Kresge Foundation, these initiatives will provide weekly no- or low-cost activities for youth and family at 19 public spaces and parks across Detroit.
The programming will provide opportunities for play and activity in Detroit’s green spaces, ultimately promoting health, wellness, and joy for families in their neighborhood parks.
Programming has been planned in partnership with 16 neighborhood-based organizations in Detroit. In addition to the programming, these organizations are also employing youth, engaging with neighbors, and conducting outreach to ensure that these programs successfully meet the needs and priorities of families in the Detroit community.
“Time spent in our parks and green spaces improves our health, brings us joy, and connects us to nature and each other,” said Sigal Hemy, executive director of the Detroit Parks Coalition. “We hope that these programs offer Detroiters some great reasons to get outside and enjoy their neighborhood parks.”
Pistons Neighbors Program
The Detroit Pistons, Detroit Parks Coalition, and City of Detroit are collaborating on an enhanced 10-week ‘Pistons Neighbors Program’ beginning July 5 that will provide free activities for children and families at 10 park locations across the city of Detroit.
The 10 parks – O’Hair Park, Palmer Park, Cool Cities Park, Skinner Park, Chandler Park, Curtis Jones Park, Delores Bennett Park, Clark Park, Rouge Park, and Stein Park – will host wide-ranging activities for all ages, including sports clinics, live music, dance classes, and visual arts. Programming, managed by Come Play Detroit, will be provided by local vendors, and presented in partnership with community-based organizations. Funding for programming is being provided by the William Davidson Foundation, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, and the Detroit Pistons. A complete schedule can be found here.
Additionally, the Detroit Pistons and Detroit Parks Coalition committed $40,000 in grants to nine Detroit-based community groups to provide additional resources towards summer programs and initiatives outside of the Pistons Neighbors Program.
Gaby McKee, Executive Director of the Detroit Pistons Foundation, noted the Pistons Neighbors Program has doubled in size, growing from five parks in 2022 to 10 parks this summer.
“The Pistons Neighbors Program continues to create opportunities for our city to come together and enjoy our outdoor parks throughout the summer,” McKee said. “Together with our partners at the City of Detroit, William Davidson Foundation, and the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, we are doubling down on our commitment to Detroit by expanding the Neighbors Program to 10 parks in 2023, providing grants to other community-based organizations, and completing the final phase of our basketball court renovations, we can ensure Detroiters have access to fun and engaging experiences in their community.”
Child and Family-Centered Public Space Network
The Kresge Foundation is collaborating with seven neighborhood-based organizations to launch summer programming catered to children and families at 10 sites across several Detroit neighborhoods. These organizations, which received a total of $250,000, will provide regular programming at neighborhood locations with a goal of centering BIPOC arts, culture, and heritage, fostering multicultural and multigenerational connections, and improving the physical and mental health and wellness of children and families. These programs range from performing and visual arts workshops, to youth sports and recreation programs, to health and wellness activities, holiday celebrations, and more. In addition to providing exciting programs, these organizations will conduct extensive outreach and community engagement in neighborhoods surrounding program sites to ensure a wide range of children and families are able to access and participate in summer activities.
These organizations include:
Southwest Detroit: Clark Park Coalition, Living Arts, Urban Neighborhood Initiatives, Brilliant Detroit
McDougall-Hunt: Bailey Park Project
Fitzgerald: Ella Fitzgerald Park Conservancy & Live6 Alliance
Banglatown/East Davidson Village: Global Detroit
“Our organizations all see accessible, equitable, and vibrant parks and public spaces as integral to the quality of neighborhood life, particularly for youth and families. We know that there is much to do on this front in Detroit. Today we are showing that we can collectively move toward meeting the green-space needs of Detroiters,” said Wendy Lewis Jackson, managing director of Kresge’s Detroit Program.
