An Interview with DP’s Education Director Grace Schaefer

For this article, I interviewed Grace Schaefer, who has been working on Detroit Partnership’s Education Team for three years. This past year, she has been selected to be the Education Director. In the questions below, I aim to ask questions about her experience both in terms of key takeaways and obstacles encountered. 

Describe your experience working on the Education Team. What has been your favorite part of this experience?

I have been a part of the Education Team for three years now, and it has been an incredibly rewarding experience. Through the development of our education kits,  I have learned a lot more about Detroit as a city and about the challenges some Detroiters face, and, more importantly, what is being done to bridge these inequities. In addition to educating our volunteers on specific topics in Detroit, like art, the criminal justice system, food insecurity and more, we also educate volunteers on cultural competency to ensure they are entering the communities that we work with with sensitivity, which is an incredibly important part of carrying out DP’s mission. While the development of education kits has been an informative and impactful experience, my favorite part of this experience has been starting DP’s blog! Our current Executive Director, Shichi Dhar, came up with the idea for a blog last year, but we weren’t able to bring it to fruition until this year. It has been so rewarding starting a project from the ground up and getting to discuss topics I am passionate about while also providing a space for other DP members to share their stories and experiences. Discussing my experience working on the Education Team and with DP in general would not be complete without mentioning the amazing people I have been lucky enough to connect with through DP – some of whom have had remarkable impacts on both my professional and personal development. 

What is one key learning takeaway you have from your participation on the Education Team?

The biggest thing I’ve learned through my work on the Education Team is the importance of knowing your role as a volunteer. It is so incredibly important to acknowledge that because we are entering communities that most of us are not a part of, we do not fully understand the complexities of the issues that our service aims to help. We are not there to tell community members what they should do; we are there to help the community reach goals that they have set for themselves in whatever way they find appropriate, as they are the ones with a deep understanding of the community. In a nutshell, we are working with the community, not for the community. 

What has been a challenge you have faced while working on the Education Team or as Director?

One challenge I have faced while working on the Education Team was trying to maintain volunteer engagement in reflection sessions during the pandemic. With more volunteering and reflection sessions being virtual rather than in person, it was much more difficult to get meaningful conversations started. Reflection sessions are vital to our mission and member participation is necessary for these sessions to have their intended benefit. One way we combatted this was working closely with the Ginsberg Center advisors to help us brainstorm new ways to ask questions and engaging activities to try to make virtual reflection sessions just as impactful as in-person reflection sessions. 

How would you describe the transition from being a member of the Education Team to Education Director for The Detroit Partnership?

The transition from Education Team member to Education Director did have its challenges, but overall it felt very natural to me. I had been a member of the Education Team for two years and really understood the goals of our team and the importance of the work that we do. I was ready to take on larger responsibilities in DP and be able to spearhead new projects, like the blog. The challenges I faced during the transition were mostly administrative, but the other directors were always very supportive in helping me navigate these. Overall, taking on a larger role in DP has been very fulfilling and was very worth a few bumps in the transition. 

What made you stay connected and involved in Detroit Partnership for multiple semesters?

The biggest thing that has made me stay involved in DP is seeing the impact I have in my weekly volunteering. I participate in the Center for Success weekly program where I am a mentor and literacy tutor for elementary students. Watching my mentees progress in their reading and seeing how proud they are of themselves makes it all worth it. Additionally, DP has been an incredible learning experience for me. I have learned a lot about Detroit through the creation of our reflection kits and my experiences volunteering at our major events and so much about leadership through being the Education Director this year. I’ve also learned more about myself through reflecting on the service I’ve done through DP.

What has been a favorite topic that you have researched for Education Kits?

My favorite topic was definitely discussing healthcare disparities in Detroit. As a pre-med student currently applying to medical school, healthcare disparities are something I’ve learned about through my classes and seen with my own eyes through my clinical experiences. Getting to dive deeper into what healthcare disparities look like in Detroit and learning about the ways that the Detroit community is working to make healthcare more accessible was absolutely fascinating to me.

Written by Keara Keelty (Education Team 2023-2024)