For the next two months, I will be interning at the Detroit Experience Factory. DukeEngage Detroit has never worked with DXF in the past, so my partner Vinit and I have the exciting and slightly intimidating role of paving the way for these two organizations’ partnership. Along with being curious about Detroit, a city that I hear a lot of controversial things about, most of which made me think Detroit would never be a place I would visit, I applied to this program because of its focus on social entrepreneurship. When I first found out that I was paired with DXF, I was a little surprised. because the ‘social’ aspect of the non-profit was harder to see than I had expected. Initially scanning their website and reading their description, I saw a list of tours around Detroit, from bar crawls to architecture tours, and was reminded more of planning a vacation than civic engagement. Instead of a targeting poverty, homelessness, or hunger, Detroit Experience Factory tackles a social issue that is less traditional, yet is one of the biggest, most pervasive roadblocks for Detroit today.
Over the past few months as everyone from my parents’ friends to my Uber drivers have asked me what I was doing this summer, I always struggled to find a way to describe my plans without getting a puzzled look or a laugh. “I’ll be in Detroit interning for a non-profit that gives tours of the city”. To most people, my work sounds equivalent to trying to teaching swim lessons in a carpeted room—a nonsensical waste of time. However, the media's portrayal and the national reputation of Detroit are lagging. To most, Detroit is a crippled, bankrupt city so inhospitable that even locals refuse to stay, leaving behind vacant lots and lots of crime. While these problems do exist and the city still needs a lot of help, Detroit Experience Factory aims to correct the reputation of Detroit and tell the current, complete story of the city; a story filled with innovation, growth, and exciting possibilities.
For the next two months, Vinit and I are helping Detroit Experience Factory tell their own story by quantifying the economic impact of their free, public tours and private tours through analyzing and collecting survey data and conducting interviews with business owners who collaborate with DXF. These tours show both visitors and locals all aspects of Detroit, from the hidden alleyways (not known for their crime but rather for their beautiful murals and trendy bars) to the stretches of abandoned lots in the neighborhoods around Downtown. I look forward to playing a small part in changing the narrative of Detroit by uncovering these economic success stories after years of negativity.
Over the past few months as everyone from my parents’ friends to my Uber drivers have asked me what I was doing this summer, I always struggled to find a way to describe my plans without getting a puzzled look or a laugh. “I’ll be in Detroit interning for a non-profit that gives tours of the city”. To most people, my work sounds equivalent to trying to teaching swim lessons in a carpeted room—a nonsensical waste of time. However, the media's portrayal and the national reputation of Detroit are lagging. To most, Detroit is a crippled, bankrupt city so inhospitable that even locals refuse to stay, leaving behind vacant lots and lots of crime. While these problems do exist and the city still needs a lot of help, Detroit Experience Factory aims to correct the reputation of Detroit and tell the current, complete story of the city; a story filled with innovation, growth, and exciting possibilities.
For the next two months, Vinit and I are helping Detroit Experience Factory tell their own story by quantifying the economic impact of their free, public tours and private tours through analyzing and collecting survey data and conducting interviews with business owners who collaborate with DXF. These tours show both visitors and locals all aspects of Detroit, from the hidden alleyways (not known for their crime but rather for their beautiful murals and trendy bars) to the stretches of abandoned lots in the neighborhoods around Downtown. I look forward to playing a small part in changing the narrative of Detroit by uncovering these economic success stories after years of negativity.