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Academics

Our mission is to develop great readers and great people, and that starts with one-on-one and small-group tutoring for all students reading below grade level, as well as homework help in the DEEP (Digital Education Enrichment Center). Sessions combine reading, writing, vocabulary review and a skills activity tailored to meet the student’s individual needs. Teachers and mentors focus on modeling and encouraging your student using the materials provided. All SDPC members must attend the 75-minute sessions — called the Next Day Program — when they arrive before joining other activities.

Advancing education, increasing high-school graduation rates, and preparing the youth of Detroit for college or the workplace is the heart of the Center.

An interactive science center opened inside the 7,000 square-foot learning center in February 2016 known as Science in the DEEP.  Volunteers from the Dow STEM Ambassadors program, the Cooper Standard STEM Accelerator program, and from the community offer tutoring, science demonstrations and career information. SAY Play has also launched a Lego Robotics team.

Impact Snapshot

  • In 2017 – 2018 academic year, 200 students attended the center every week on average, and a total of 500 young people became members of the center in the summer or school year programs.
  • 84% of our member who worked one-on-one with volunteer reading mentors grew by a grade level or more in reading.
  • Members who attended 10 times or more earned a 2.5 GPA by the fourth quarter, 36% higher than the 1.8 GPA of their peer group who attended 9 times or less.