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Dear community, you are the compass. You show us what’s possible when we listen closely, when we stand together, and when we refuse to settle for anything less than a future worthy of our young people.

We trust families, students, and educators because they have always carried the wisdom, courage, and imagination needed to guide us all forward.

As we move into 2026, let’s move education forward. Let’s do it with the people. If we stay rooted in each other, there is no limit to the future we can shape.

Read @skillmanpower’s full letter at the link in our bio.

Dear community, you are the compass. You show us what’s possible when we listen closely, when we stand together, and when we refuse to settle for anything less than a future worthy of our young people.

We trust families, students, and educators because they have always carried the wisdom, courage, and imagination needed to guide us all forward.

As we move into 2026, let’s move education forward. Let’s do it with the people. If we stay rooted in each other, there is no limit to the future we can shape.

Read @skillmanpower’s full letter at the link in our bio.

Dear community, you are the compass. You show us what’s possible when we listen closely, when we stand together, and when we refuse to settle for anything less than a future worthy of our young people.

We trust families, students, and educators because they have always carried the wisdom, courage, and imagination needed to guide us all forward.

As we move into 2026, let’s move education forward. Let’s do it with the people. If we stay rooted in each other, there is no limit to the future we can shape.

Read @skillmanpower’s full letter at the link in our bio.

Dear community, you are the compass. You show us what’s possible when we listen closely, when we stand together, and when we refuse to settle for anything less than a future worthy of our young people.

We trust families, students, and educators because they have always carried the wisdom, courage, and imagination needed to guide us all forward.

As we move into 2026, let’s move education forward. Let’s do it with the people. If we stay rooted in each other, there is no limit to the future we can shape.

Read @skillmanpower’s full letter at the link in our bio.

Dear community, you are the compass. You show us what’s possible when we listen closely, when we stand together, and when we refuse to settle for anything less than a future worthy of our young people.

We trust families, students, and educators because they have always carried the wisdom, courage, and imagination needed to guide us all forward.

As we move into 2026, let’s move education forward. Let’s do it with the people. If we stay rooted in each other, there is no limit to the future we can shape.

Read @skillmanpower’s full letter at the link in our bio.

Dear community, you are the compass. You show us what’s possible when we listen closely, when we stand together, and when we refuse to settle for anything less than a future worthy of our young people.

We trust families, students, and educators because they have always carried the wisdom, courage, and imagination needed to guide us all forward.

As we move into 2026, let’s move education forward. Let’s do it with the people. If we stay rooted in each other, there is no limit to the future we can shape.

Read @skillmanpower’s full letter at the link in our bio.

Dear community, you are the compass. You show us what’s possible when we listen closely, when we stand together, and when we refuse to settle for anything less than a future worthy of our young people.

We trust families, students, and educators because they have always carried the wisdom, courage, and imagination needed to guide us all forward.

As we move into 2026, let’s move education forward. Let’s do it with the people. If we stay rooted in each other, there is no limit to the future we can shape.

Read @skillmanpower’s full letter at the link in our bio.

Dear community, you are the compass. You show us what’s possible when we listen closely, when we stand together, and when we refuse to settle for anything less than a future worthy of our young people.

We trust families, students, and educators because they have always carried the wisdom, courage, and imagination needed to guide us all forward.

As we move into 2026, let’s move education forward. Let’s do it with the people. If we stay rooted in each other, there is no limit to the future we can shape.

Read @skillmanpower’s full letter at the link in our bio.

Driving up north for the Mackinac Policy Conference this week? High fives will be given to all who see our billboard featuring the award-winning Our State of Education radio show and podcast along the way. ✨🎧🙌🏽🎧✨

Driving up north for the Mackinac Policy Conference this week? High fives will be given to all who see our billboard featuring the award-winning Our State of Education radio show and podcast along the way. ✨🎧🙌🏽🎧✨

Meaningful, sustainable progress happens when all of us work together. The Skillman Visionary Awards celebrates changemakers who center students, educators, and families and work across sectors, geographies, and politics to create an education system that meets the needs and aspirations of all students. Learn more and meet this year's Skillman Visionaries at the link in our bio.

#education #detroit #michigan #visionary

From educators with deep Detroit roots to education advocates connecting people across Michigan, Skillman Visionaries lock arms with others to transform the education system into one that nurtures the genius and well-being of all students. Their efforts expand beyond a single school or organization to make system-level change. We are thrilled to celebrate ten education changemakers through the 2026 Skillman Visionary Awards! Meet the Visionaries and learn more at the link in our bio.

#detroit #michigan #education #visionary

From educators with deep Detroit roots to education advocates connecting people across Michigan, Skillman Visionaries lock arms with others to transform the education system into one that nurtures the genius and well-being of all students. Their efforts expand beyond a single school or organization to make system-level change. We are thrilled to celebrate ten education changemakers through the 2026 Skillman Visionary Awards! Meet the Visionaries and learn more at the link in our bio.

#detroit #michigan #education #visionary

From educators with deep Detroit roots to education advocates connecting people across Michigan, Skillman Visionaries lock arms with others to transform the education system into one that nurtures the genius and well-being of all students. Their efforts expand beyond a single school or organization to make system-level change. We are thrilled to celebrate ten education changemakers through the 2026 Skillman Visionary Awards! Meet the Visionaries and learn more at the link in our bio.

#detroit #michigan #education #visionary

Transforming education starts with all of us. The Skillman Visionary Awards recognize up to ten individuals each year who are updating and upgrading the education system in Detroit and beyond. Visionaries represent a mix of educators, advocates, and policy influencers leading transformative change.

We are proud to announce this year's Skillman Visionary awardees! See the 2026 Skillman Visionaries at the link in our bio.

#detroit #michigan #education #visionary

We are thrilled to welcome Kenneth S. Frierson to the team as our new Director of Ground Building 🎉 In this role, he supports grant partners to influence education policy and systems change by amplifying community power.

Kenneth is a thought-leader and administrator with over 15 years of professional experience in education and philanthropy. His areas of expertise include fostering a sense of belonging for students in transition, youth leadership, access and equity programs, community and civic engagement, and grantmaking. Kenneth is a proud HBCU alum (Lane College) and Eastern Michigan University graduate. He completed work beyond his master’s degree at the University of Southern California, earning a leadership certificate from its Center for Enrollment Research, Policy and Practice. Kenneth has extensive experience in program design, people development, and strategic planning.

Kenneth has worked across all sectors of education, from K-12 teacher to successful administrator at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, creating pathways for underrepresented youth to access education. Prior to joining The Skillman Foundation, he was a program officer at the Ruth Mott Foundation in Flint, where he was a leader in the foundation’s race, equity, diversity, and inclusion work, as well as its civic engagement initiatives. Kenneth has consistently centered equity and championed community voice in his work.

Kenneth remains involved in the Genesee County community through faith-based organizations, service, and athletics. He chairs Flint & Genesee’s Young Professional Board and serves on the Board of Directors of the Michigan Civic Education Fund and the Detroit-based education organization Boldly Moving Education Ahead. He is a registered sports official with the Michigan High School Athletic Association and officiates college basketball games in the region. In 2024, Kenneth was honored with a 40 Under 40 Distinction in Genesee County, and in early 2026, he was named Outstanding Young Alumni of the Year at his alma mater, highlighting his work as a community champion.

#team #detroit #michigan #youth #education #groundbuilding #community #philanthropy

Fears are real, pressing, and often go unheard. But in the horror genre, fear becomes a tool. And in the Black horror genre, fear transforms into a battleground where we don’t just survive — we win.

Darkness in Detroit, a scary story competition and podcast series by Detroit Education Narrative Collective member Patrick Harris II, puts a spotlight on the rising literary talent of Detroit’s youth. The project began with a citywide writing contest for Detroit K-12 students, inviting them to write original horror stories rooted in their personal fears and how they dream of overcoming them. Winning stories were produced into audio pieces and included interviews with the young writers to explore their creative processes.

This is an audio excerpt from the interview with high school contest winner, Heaven, and pictured is a guest listening to the students' horror stories at the Detroit Education Narrative Collective exhibit. Showcasing the creative narratives of Detroit students is a way to highlight their genius in ways standardized tests cannot. It offers a gateway to educators, parents, and policymakers to consider alternative (and perhaps more culturally relevant) methods to assess children’s genius.

Listen to each of the winning stories and the student interviews through the link in our bio 🎧

Meet Patrick Harris II 🌟 Patrick is an award-winning educator, writer, and researcher on a mission to help people face their fears. He is a PhD Student in the Department of English and Film Studies at Michigan State University, focusing on Black horror film and literature. He founded The Black Paranormal Project, an audio-archive of paranormal stories told by Black Detroiters. Patrick is a career teacher with over 10 years of experience teaching. He was awarded the 2016 Early Career Educator of Color Leadership Award from the National Council of Teachers of English and was named a 2020 ‘30 Under 30 Honoree’ from the International Literacy Association. He is also an award-winning storyteller. His book The First Five: A Love Letter to Teacherswas named as a finalist for the Best Professional Audiobook by the Audio Publishers Association. His writings and works can also be found in Education Week, EdSurge, and GQ Magazine.

See our next post to preview Patrick's Detroit Education Narrative Collective story "Darkness in Detroit" 🌃

Learn more about the DEN Collective at the link in our bio!

Youth should be everyone’s priority. Jerjuan Howard, director of Youth Affairs, shares how Detroit is embedding young people into the work of every city department, an initiative that may be the first of its kind in the country.Listen now in Episode 12 of Our State of Education! Available on your favorite podcast platforms.

“Detroit is Genius: A Day in the Life” is a project by Detroit Education Narrative Collective member, Esther Guerrero, that invites two Cass Technical High School students, Anaya and Brizait, to become filmmakers of their own stories. Each participant documents their daily reality, from morning routines to afterschool pursuits, while exploring what genius means in their own lives.

As the daughter of Mexican immigrants who grew up in Southwest Detroit, Esther understands how students navigating cultural and linguistic identities often remain invisible to systems that claim to serve them. This project trusts students as the experts of their own experiences. By giving them cameras and asking reflective questions – What shows your genius in action? How does your community support or challenge it? – their films become evidence of what’s already present: creativity, resilience, and brilliance that exists regardless of institutional recognition. The 30-minute documentary will be accompanied by a social media campaign that amplifies their voices and extends their stories beyond a single screening.

The education system must shift from asking “how do we fix students?” to “how do we honor the genius already here?” When we truly believe genius comes from Detroit, we must build schools and structures that protect and amplify it, not ones that require students to prove their worth.

Learn more about Detroit is Genius: A Day in the Life here: skillman.org/den-collective/esther-guerrero/

Meet Esther Guerrero 🌟 Raised by immigrant parents from Mexico in Southwest Detroit, Esther is a first-generation Detroiter who has explored her identity through the arts, community engagement, and education. During high school, she joined Congress of Communities’ Latine Youth Council, where she helped develop Nuestro Futuro, a youth-led program aimed at increasing access to higher education for students in Detroit. Esther played a key role in the program’s development, implementation, and continuation.

She received her Bachelor of Science in Public Health with minors in Biological Sciences and Latino/a/x Studies at Wayne State University. After graduating, Esther continued her work with Congress of Communities, leading the Latine Youth Council and their various youth programs. Currently, Esther is at the University of Michigan working towards her Master of Public Health with a concentration in Health Behavior and Health Equity.

See our next post to preview Esther's Detroit Education Narrative Collective story "Detroit is Genius: A Day in the Life" 🎥

Learn more about the DEN Collective at the link in our bio!

When teens gathered in mass downtown, the City of Detroit saw it as an opportunity to co-create safe, welcoming, and productive spaces with them. In Episode 12 of Our State of Education, Dr. Chanel Hampton, senior director of Youth and Education and special liaison to the mayor, shares how a conversation with young residents led to Detroit's first Teen Kickback. Listen to the full episode on your favorite podcast platforms!