Service Spotlight

(photo courtesy of Brynne Barnes)

ENG 203: Children’s Literature

In winter 2025, Professor Brynne Barnes’ students partnered with Arts & Scraps to help foster the love of reading in children in Detroit. Arts & Scraps’ community store sells recycled materials for art supplies, hosts community workshops for all ages, and creates kits for educators to integrate creativity and STEM concepts. They also offer more formal educational programing for pre-K to fifth grade. Students in Prof. Barnes’ course contributed to this mission by each picking a children’s book to donate, then creating a lesson plan that could be used with materials from Arts & Scraps to encourage children to engage with reading.

(photo courtesy of Rena Laverty.)

Individual Service Option: Tiffany Cabrera Armas

“What if there was a place where brilliant things happen?” In completing her Capstone Project for the Schoolcraft Scholars Honors Program focused on the impact of economic and racial inequality on education, Tiffany “Lulu” Cabrera Armas found the answer to that question in Brilliant Cities Detroit. Brilliant Cities centers their programs for young children and families in neighborhood “hubs”, located in historically underserved areas of Detroit; these hubs connect people to resources and to each other. Lulu served in the after-school program in winter 2025 and was recognized by Brilliant Cities as a “Dedicated Volunteer”. Lulu says she gained “a sense of purpose and a family in the community”, along with experiences that strengthened her teaching skills for her future career in Early Childhood Education.

(photo courtesy of Zaman International)

SCM 230: Supply Chain Operations

Professor Steve Donovan’s students worked with Zaman International, a non-profit that serves marginalized women and families in the Detroit Metro area. Zaman International provides workforce development training, literacy programs, support for basic needs, and employment opportunities to enable women to break the cycle of poverty. Their social enterprises include Good Deeds Thrift Shop, Rising Hope Bakery, and Stitch Lab – all areas where the organization has expanded quickly. Supply Chain students visited Zaman International to learn about the mission and see the facilities, identified challenges in operations, researched possible solutions, and at the end of the fall 2024 semester presented their findings to Zaman International’s representatives. Schoolcraft students learned from the opportunity Zaman International presented to apply course concepts in a real-world setting and were excited for the chance to make a contribution.

ART 133/134, 233/234: Ceramics Theory

Students in Professor Sophie Neslund’s ceramics theory classes prepared vessels for Schoolcraft’s Empty Bowl fundraiser, benefiting the college’s food pantry. Many players are involved in making Empty Bowl a success every year – Student Activities, the culinary students who donate soup and bread, other students who donate work from ceramics – and we are proud to add Prof. Neslund’s students to the list!

ENG 101: Basic Composition

Professor Nancy Anter’s students met with residents at Anthology of Northville, a senior living community. Afterward, students wrote a descriptive paper on aspects of identity featuring the senior they interviewed. In the words of one student, “I thought it gave a really good insight and perspective into what identity means to us now as well as older generations and comparing/ contrasting the two. It gave me a clearer image on what identity means and how it can change from person to person.”

Professor Maheshwari’s students helped sponsor the Share Joy Program, along with Student Activities and volunteers from Honors students and faculty. Share Joy brought hand-picked gifts to families at both the Wayne Country Family Shelter and the Schoolcraft Food Pantry. Dozens of toys, clothing, toiletries, and snacks were donated. The gifts were packaged in home-made, colorful pillowcases – made earlier by Schoolcraft volunteers.

ENG 203: Children’s Literature

Professor April Hardin’s students created dozens of “book bundles” to encourage children’s literacy – and provide a snuggly moment with a good read! Students cut and tied fleece blankets, then packaged donated books sorted by age with a blanket and a stuffed animal. The students delivered some of the bundles to Redford Service Learning Academy for their classroom reading corners, and donated others to the Share Joy program.

HIST 152: 19th Century American History

Professor Alec Thomson and his students partnered with West Farmington Cemetery in Farmington Hills to map the cemetery, document those buried there, and analyze primary sources to learn more about their stories. As Prof. Thompson pointed out in an article for Schoolcraft’s website, “Ultimately, we want students to think of studying history as a dynamic exercise that not only provides us with opportunity for reflection but a deeper understanding for mapping our future. The work of the students creates a tangible link between the past and the present.”