Youth-Driven Community Center
Original House (Pre-Construction)
It all started when…
The 2018-2019 Youth Council attended a weekend retreat with Ann Arbor’s Neutral Zone intended to strengthen the organization’s youth-driven work. The youth identified that while CoC has lots of opportunities for youth-driven leadership development, the office where CoC currently resides doesn’t feel like a space by and for youth and young people. The idea of a youth-driven community center was born! CoC’s young people have been planning and implementing this project since fall 2018. They have helped at every step of the way: writing a grant, finding a house to be converted into a center, developing programming for the space, choosing architects and designers, etc. In summer 2020, construction on the house started, beginning with the foundation, roof, and interior demolition.
Today, the house serves as the center for all of Congress of Communities’ operations, programs, and events. It is a growing, thriving community hub engaging Southwest Detroit residents.
Donate to the Youth-Driven Community Center by visiting our ioby page: www.https://ioby.org/project/youth-driven-community-center.
