Mission: Coaching Detroit Forward is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that coaches Detroit high school students in writing, photography, graphic design and other creative fields. Award-winning local journalists, authors, communications professionals, photographers and designers teach students and share their expertise through summer camps, workshops and after-school programs. Through Coaching Detroit Forward, students gain mentors who guide them through internships, jobs and careers. 

We are currently seeking donations and sponsorships for our 2020 Media Arts Program summer camps and would appreciate your support! Read more at coachingdetroitforward.org.

Summer Journalism Camp

For many journalists, their careers started in high school when they joined their newspaper club or took a journalism class and fell in love with the art of storytelling. Covering high school sports, school issues and even Homecoming dances was an experience that made them discover a whole career opportunity. However, for many Detroit high school students, there is no newspaper club or journalism class. There are no opportunities to cover Friday night football games or student club activities. And there is no platform to share their words, stories and opinions. For many, they don’t know they can be a features reporter or sports commentator, because they’ve never been exposed to the crafts. 

Our nonprofit Coaching Detroit Forward wants to fill a need for Detroit high school students and help them experience an industry they may know little about, or would love to explore but have no avenues to do so. 

The Coaching Detroit Forward Journalism Camp is a month-long camp with 2 sessions: one in July and one in August. Each session will have 12-15 Detroit high school students. The Monday through Friday camp is heavily focused on learning and practicing journalism and photography. 

We are employing coaches from The Detroit Writing Room, who are all award-winning journalists who have worked at publications from The New York Times to Detroit News and Detroit Free Press. Each day, students will learn a different topic from a Detroit Writing Room coach. For example, one day would be focused on breaking news reporting with former New York Times Detroit bureau chief Bill Vlasic. Another day would be column writing with former Detroit News columnist Laura Berman. The students will have access to the top editors, journalists and photographers in Metro Detroit and gain mentors as a result. In the last week and a half, the students will report and write their own news story and will go out in the field to do so. At the end, each student will receive editing from coaches and share their stories, and lessons learned, with the group.

Your support will help us:

• Purchase laptops and writing materials

• Provide daily lunch for the students

• Compensate coaches

• Cover transportation costs

• Operate the camp

Summer Sportswriting Camp

Writing about sports can make your writing more descriptive, powerful and active, In Coaching Detroit Forward's immersive Sportswriting Camp at The Detroit Writing Room, Detroit high students will engage in fun games and activities with like-minded peers and write about the action. They’ll also meet and engage with local sportswriters and athletes, attend a live sports event and write a post-game story, and have their stories printed in a magazine featuring their work.

The Coaching Detroit Forward Sportswriting Camp is a two weeklong camp in July and August. The session will have about 10 Detroit high school students. The Monday through Friday camp is heavily focused on learning and practicing sportswriting. We have partnered with Lynne Golodner, founder and CEO of the nonprofit One Earth Writing, who has taught sportswriting camps at Wayne State University.

We are also employing coaches from The Detroit Writing Room who will provide different lessons for the students. For instance, one day may be sports column writing with Neal Rubin, a Detroit News columnist and former sportswriter. Another day may be sports photography with Erin Kirkland, who has captured University of Michigan football and basketball games. We will also have guest speakers such as Sports Illustrated writer Michael Rosenberg and professional athletes. The students will have access to the top sportswriters and photographers in Metro Detroit and gain mentors as a result.

Your support will help us:

• Provide daily lunch for the students

• Compensate the sportswriting coach

• Cover transportation costs

• Operate the camp

Summer Photography Camp

Teens feel most confident when they have completed something that excites them and seeing a project from beginning to end gives them a sense of accomplishment and pride, and it builds their self-image and confidence. 

Coaching Detroit Forward’s beginning-level photography class is designed to introduce high school students to the fundamental operations, techniques and vocabulary of digital photography. They will learn how to take their camera off automatic mode and make the most of manual adjustments including aperture, shutter speed and ISO. They also will be exposed to the work of inspirational photographers past and present, and practice will be a large part of this camp while exploring the outdoors on photo walks throughout downtown Detroit. The last few days will be dedicated to creating a presentation of their best work.

The Coaching Detroit Forward Photography Camp is a two week-long camp with 2 sessions: one in June and one in August. Each session will have 10 Detroit high school students. The Monday through Friday camp is heavily focused on learning and practicing photography. 

Detroit Writing Room photography coach Sacred Overstreet-Amos will be leading the camp. Each day, students will learn a different photography technique at The Detroit Writing Room. In the last week, the students will take their own photos and will go out in the field to do so. At the end of the summer, The Detroit Writing Room will host a student showcase where the community can view their photos. 

Your support will help us:

• Purchase cameras

• Provide daily lunch for the students

• Compensate the photography coach

• Cover transportation costs

• Operate the camp

School Partnerships

Coaching Detroit Forward is partnering with the Communication and Media Arts High School, a Detroit Public Schools Community District school in Northwest Detroit, as well as Detroit Leadership Academy. We are working with administrators to identify students who have an interest in journalism and photography and could benefit from the camps. There will be an application process to apply from March to April 2020 that will be open to all Detroit high school students.

Donation Levels:

$100: Buy lunch for the students for 1 day

$200: Sponsor a student to attend 1 day of camp

$300: Buy 1 laptop for the camp

$390: Buy 1 camera for the camp

$500: Buy lunch for the students for 1 week

$1,000: Sponsor a student to attend 1 week of camp

All donations are tax deductible. We appreciate your support!

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