News from the Office of Metropolitan Impact: Poverty Simulation, Engagement Day and new Ally cohort

October 9, 2015

The latest from the Office of Metropolitan Impact

Poverty Simulation

The Office of Metropolitan Impact (OMI) and the Community Involvement and Volunteerism Center CIViC) have co-hosted four-hour poverty simulation sessions with staff, students and community member volunteers several times in recent years. The Poverty Simulation takes students through a one-month simulation experience of being a low-income citizen having to navigate such life challenges as paying bills, ensuring adequate childcare, purchasing food, obtaining transportation to work and other life responsibilities. These simulations lead students from such courses as sociology, political science, economics, business, and urban and regional studies through vivid role-playing experiences as low-income citizens.

In the Winter 2016 semester, OMI and the CIViC will again host a Poverty Simulation program. If you are a faculty member who has an interest in the simulation, or questions related to the Poverty Simulation experience, please complete the following interest form by November 9, 2015.

Engagement Day U-M Regent Mark Bernstein met with students, staff and Public Allies during UM-Dearborn's inaugural Engagement Day on January 23, 2015.

Engagement Day

Mark your calendars to come celebrate the Second Annual Engagement Day with the UM-Dearborn campus on Friday, January 22, 2016, in Kochoff Hall. Engagement Day will wrap up the MLK Week of Celebration on campus.

The Office of Metropolitan Impact, in close collaboration with faculty, staff and student leaders from across campus, will recognize, highlight and award the many ways in which we are all engaged in our Metropolitan community through research, service, volunteerism and related activities. The entire UM-Dearborn campus and its community partners, alumni and other community organizations will celebrate in a robust sharing of stories, programs, research and related activities throughout the day.

We currently are seeking faculty, staff, student and community presenters to share their engagement work, which can include everything from service projects to community-based research, to other various events or projects. If you are interested in presenting at Engagement Day this year, please complete the following form.

Please contact Molly Manley, OMI program coordinator, for additional information at [email protected] or 313-583-6361. If you are not able to present, please plan on attending. We promise it will be an informative and uplifting event!

PAMD Connection Day Allies and partner host sites met to learn more about one another and decide on a potential "match" for the 10-month Public Allies Metro Detroit service term.

Public Ally Metro Detroit Updates/Community Connection Day

In preparation for the launch of the third cohort of Ally AmeriCorp apprentices (2015-2016), the OMI Public Allies Metro Detroit (PAMD) program hosted its third annual Community Connection Day at the University of Michigan Detroit Center on Friday, October 2. Community Connection Day is the final step of the Public Ally interview process, and serves as both a community fair and interview day. Roughly 40 local Ally finalists and dozens of prospective partner host sites came together for an afternoon to learn about the capacity-building positions at each service site. The second half of the afternoon was spent in a series of 10 minute interviews, for Allies and partner host sites to learn more about one another and decide on a potential "match" for the 10-month service term. At the close of the event, both Ally finalists and partner host sites ranked their preferences identifying with whom they would like to work, and the PAMD leadership team subsequently facilitated a matching process. On Match Reveal Day, October 7, 2015, the new cohort of Allies learned their service placements and expressed sincere commitment and excitement for the program year.

The 2015-16 cohort members officially begin their service as Public Allies on Monday, October 12, 2015.