“Retooling Detroit is a non-profit, volunteer-based public service organization dedicated to ensuring that Detroit’s children have the necessary tools to lead fulfilling lives. Given its criticality in today’s world, literacy is the primary focus of the initiative. As a complement to the literacy instruction, workshops in the arts, sciences and healthy living are conducted to stoke a child’s innate curiosity and enhance whole-child education. While many initiatives have focused on various aspects of literacy—from reading books to adult literacy– what is missing is a community-wide effort to bridge the literacy divide when it first emerges, when an infusion of support can yield the greatest results.

A multi-pronged, holistic effort, Retooling Detroit provides an adjunct mechanism to bridge the systemic gaps that render thousands of children illiterate. Our aim is to support public school instruction by providing individual or small group tutoring to those children with the greatest difficulty, early in the education process— before reading obstacles create life-long roadblocks. Relying on established Montessori methodologies that are simple and repeatable, volunteers are trained in a matter of hours and able to work with at-risk children to help them read at grade level. Through this unique participatory initiative people from all walks of life, from students to seniors, can work together to help empower Detroit’s children to reach their true potential.”

 To create a community-wide initiative from students to seniors that supports public school instruction by providing one-on-one tutoring to those children with the greatest difficulty, early in the education process—in kg-3rd grade, before reading obstacles create life-long roadblocks.

  Equipping a volunteer force with simple, proven Montessori-based methodologies that can be learned in a matter of hours.

  Assembling a core group of teachers to conduct the training sessions and oversee the tutoring process to ensure that progress is made.

  Creating a framework for high school students to become tutors and receive scholarship funds for college.

  Engaging the children in workshops on gardening, cooking, music, art, yoga and various other disciplines to make learning inviting and instill an understanding of the world around them and how to lead healthy, fulfilling lives.  And, in the process inspire a love of learning.