Detroit Program - Spring 2025

Jimiri Groups

Our Youth Leadership Program is designed for middle-school students in the Detroit metropolitan area:

  • Each Jimiri group has 12 students who meet once a week, on Sunday afternoons from 2:45 - 5:00 pm. The spring session runs from April 6 to June 8, 2025.
  • Students meet for 8 weeks at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.
  • Jimiri provides free transportation for all families, including a private bus service to and from the Wright Museum.
  • To promote racial, gender, and geographic diversity within Jimiri groups, each student self-identifies their race, gender, home ZIP code, and school when submitting applications.
  • Trained high-school, college, and graduate-level students serve as group facilitators, with parent/teacher supervisors on site.
  • Students are assigned a common-interest activity for their group, such as art, digital photography, public speaking, or sports journalism. About 60 minutes of each weekly meetup is devoted to this activity, including group-building exercises.
  • Students and facilitators engage in meaningful discussions about race, racism, and Black history. About 60 minutes of each weekly meetup is devoted to these discussions.
  • As part of the group-building exercises and overall curriculum, students work on group projects such as murals, theatrical monologues and speeches, photo montages, and journalistic projects they create and share with family and friends.
  • Each group participates in a community service event in Detroit.
  • Interested middle-school students can continue to participate in future sessions and are eligible to serve as facilitators as early as 9th grade.
  • Jimiri participants are encouraged to grow their friendships through middle school, high school, and beyond.
  • Middle-school applications due March 21. Click here to apply!

Benefits for Students

Inspire and develop future leaders to promote racial justice.

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Enhance college and career readiness by providing leadership opportunities and expanding social networks and access to resources.

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Build social and emotional skills necessary to succeed in a racially diverse world.

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Engage in meaningful discussions of race, racism, and Black history.

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Provide opportunities for fun, engaging, and safe extra-curricular activities and community service.

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Logistics

  • Participation is free for all families. No costs for students or parents.
  • Free transportation for all families, including private bus service to and from the Wright Museum.​
  • Jimiri groups meet on Sundays, from 2:45 to 5:00 pm, at the Wright Museum of African American History. The Spring 2025 session runs from April 6 to June 8, 2025.
  • Snacks and drinks provided.
  • All supplies and other materials provided to students at no cost.
  • Parents receive weekly reports of activities and discussion.
  • Middle-school applications due March 21. Click here to apply!

Frequently Asked Questions

Participation is free for all families. There’s no cost for students or parents.

Students self-identify their race, gender, home ZIP code, and school.  Based only on these demographic characteristics — and not on any personally identifying information — we assign students to groups to promote racial, gender, and geographic diversity for each group.

No. We want all students to begin the program on an equal social footing and to embrace the challenge of meeting new people and making new friends.

All meetups are located at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History (311 E. Warren Ave.)

Yes. Jimiri provides a free private bus service for all families, to and from the Wright Museum.

Jimiri groups meet on Sundays from 2:45 to 5:00 pm. (April 6 to June 8, 2025).

Facilitators are high school, college, and graduate school students who are trained in promoting group-building and facilitating discussions of race and racism in America. Facilitators are recruited from local high schools and colleges and submit applications and short essays before selection.  Each Jimiri group is assigned 3-4 facilitators. 

Staff supervisors are parents, teachers, and adult volunteers, including licensed professionals in the areas of education, social work, and child psychology. 

Yes! Parents will receive a weekly summary of the activities and discussions from the student meetups each week.

Students are assigned a common-interest activity for their group, such as art, digital photography, public speaking, or sports journalism. About 60 minutes of each meetup will be spent on these activities, including group-building exercises.

Please visit our Middle School Student page and complete the form. The application deadline is March 21, 2025.

Please visit our High School Facilitator webpage and fill out the form. Applications are due February 7, 2025.

Please visit our College Facilitator webpage and fill out the form. Applications are due February 7, 2025.

You can review all of the details on our Youth Program Curriculum webpage.  

There are a number of terrific online resources we’ve gathered for you at our Resources webpage.

Same answer as immediately above! We’ve gathered some excellent resources for you on our Resources page.

We’re glad you asked! Please visit our Contact Us page and we’ll get right back to you.

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