A cynic might suggest that the summer of '13 hardly seems like an ideal time to start a professional development year in Detroit, but 33 new Challenge Detroit participants were picked because they're confident and resilient.
And after all, what better spot to jump into a leadership training program that starts with the word challenge?
Twenty-two women and 11 men are in the second set of trainees who arrive for orientation in five weeks before assignments at two auto companies, a utility, a sports team, a charter school network and other businesses, Matt Roush reports at WWJ. Twenty participants are from Michigan.
They made the cut from among 700 applicants for a shot at no-cost lodging live in Detroit and salaries for working roughly 32 hours a week at host companies and organizations until next summer. They'll also receive mentoring and will participate in monthly community service projects, as well as group social and cultural events.
The class of 2013-14 has three more members than the inaugural group of 30 fellows, as the interns are awkwardly called. They start assignments in September at Beaumont Health System, DTE Energy, Chrysler, GM, ePrize, Rock Ventures, Hospice of Michigan, Mango Languages, Cornerstone Charter Schools, the Detroit Lions, a Southfield law firm, United Way and elsewhere. (Full list here.)
"We hope . . . that this program introduces our fellows to what makes Detroit so special, that they find great job opportunities and that they fall in love with Detroit,” executive director Dierdre Green Groves tells Roush.
Here's how her website lays out the goal:
We expect, through their experiences with Challenge Detroit, these individuals will be intrigued to stay in Detroit, work in Detroit, even start their own business in Detroit. And by doing so, they will have a positive influence on many other people who are looking for a great city to plant their personal flag.
This gig sounds too worthwhile for any cracks about flag-planting, what ever that means. (Oh wait, is that bad?)
