AmeriCorps members changing lives in Detroit schools

Justin Payne walks through the hallways of Denby High School in Detroit, where every student who walks past looks him in the eye and says hello. He knows everyone by name.

He asks one student, “Did you turn in that job application?”

“What college did you decide on?” to another.

The students and staff know he cares deeply. They know he is there to help. Payne is one of many Michigan’s AmeriCorps members serving in Detroit schools, helping make a positive impact. His program is one of eight AmeriCorps programs the Michigan Community Service Commission administers through the Corporation for National and Community Service that make an impact in more than 90 Detroit schools.

The programs place more than 250 AmeriCorps members in the schools to engage with more than 15,000 Detroit students.

The programs help increase high school graduation rates, literacy and college enrollment of low-income students of color, but the members have proven they do much more than improve numbers.  They provide encouragement. They give advice. They solve problems. They change lives.

When James Gibson started serving with the Academic All-Stars mentoring program at Detroit Public Schools East English Village Prep Academy, there were about 15 students involved. They didn’t say much at first. Now, near the end of the school year, Gibson and the team of four members serving at that site regularly engage nearly 100 students.

“This community needs mentors real bad. It’s a tough place to live,” said Gibson, 23, of Detroit. “They need people to look up to that have been through it with them. They relate more with someone who has been through it more so than somebody who hasn’t.”

Micah Clark, who serves alongside Gibson in the Academic All-Stars program, says she doesn’t see “bad kids,” just some who are “misguided.”

“They look at things differently. They are dealing with a lot of issues, but there is good in them,” Clark said.

Marah Casey has seen her program, Teach for America – Detroit, help students excel beyond what they believed they were capable of.  Casey first served as a member and now is the program director.

“Every day is impactful,” Casey said. “It’s a wonderful feeling. There are kids that are so appreciative of having someone who cares for them. Someone that goes above and beyond and can give that extra support.”

Payne serves with the Project Graduation AmeriCorps program through the Detroit Parent Network. He lives in Detroit and grew up not far from the school in which he serves. He has a college education. He could have easily moved on to pursue job opportunities, but he has stayed committed to the students and completed multiple years of service. Payne doesn’t sugarcoat anything. He recognizes stereotypes about the school and talks to the students about it. He encourages students to go after their dreams and he provides support to help them achieve their goals.

One experience that drives him is the story of two young men he mentored, who were best friends. One ended up in college, the other in prison.

“The kid who went to college told me ‘if you wouldn’t have pushed me, I would have been in prison with him,’” Payne said. “It made me feel good, but it broke my heart knowing I couldn’t reach them both.”

Another Project Graduation AmeriCorps member, Aurelia Foster, runs workshops to help students improve writing and professional skills. She also offers a sensitive ear to listen, a shoulder to cry on, and a refusal to give up on students. Even if the students initially reject her offers of assistance, she persists and usually wins them over.

In true AmeriCorps fashion with a deep passion in her voice, Foster said, “I’m trying to make a difference. I’m trying to make it count.”

The eight programs making an impact in Detroit schools include:

• Advise MI
• Academic All Stars
• City Year Detroit
• Detroit Youth Energy Squad
• Evidence Based Literacy Instruction Corps
• Michigan Education Corps
• Project Graduation AmeriCorps
• Teach for America