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Community Outreach Partnership Center (COPC)
Established in 2002, the Community Outreach Partnership Center seeks to provide opportunities
for students and faculty at Madonna University to engage in further education, scholarship,
and service in the Southwest Detroit community. The Community Outreach Partnership Center works
towards fulfilling this mission through several projects and methods, thus providing a variety of ways
in which students can get involved.
Community Partners
- Latin Americans for Social and Economic Development (LASED)
- All Saints Neighborhood Center/Neighborhood Centers, Inc.
- Harms Elementary School/Communities in Schools
- Southwest Sub-Zone Community Policing
- Bridging Communities
- Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision (SDEV)
- Global Village Literacy Missio
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- Southwest Detroit Neighborhood City Hall
- Trinity-St. Marks United Church of Christ
University Partners
- University of Michigan-Dearborn: Dearborn, Michigan
- Madonna University: Livonia, Michigan
- University of Michigan, School of Social Work: Ann Arbor, Michigan
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Committees
Through a series of planning meetings with community partners in the Springwells
Village Collaborative and the Alliance to Revitalize the Community at Harms
Elementary School, five areas of focus have been identified and committees developed.
These include:
- Environment
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COPC will be conducting environmental studies of air quality, brownfields,
and noise pollution. Research will include gathering data on these environmental
concerns and conducting educational workshops for community residents and leaders,
as well as recommendations for action steps. Students may assist with research and/or
developing and implementing community education workshops.
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- Safety and Security
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To improve neighborhood safety and security, the community and university
partners are working together to develop and implement conflict resolution
workshops for adults and youth in the neighborhood, as well as to create
block-watch clubs and lobby city officials in order to improve neighborhood
safety. Students may assist with developing and implementing conflict
resolution workshops, community organizing, and/or conducting research on
neighborhood crime and safety.
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- Diversity and Fairness
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Southwest Detroit is a growing community and home to Michigan’s largest Latino
community, as well as Detroit’s largest immigrant community. As such, COPC seeks
to conduct citizen education workshops, assist with the naturalization process,
provide translators at a variety of locales in the neighborhood, and conduct workshops
on the rights of tenants and responsibilities of landlords/property owners.
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- Education
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Educational enhancement will include tutoring and facilitating after-school
programs, developing and implementing a Middle-School Mentoring Program
focusing on college preparation, and developing plans for a Vocational Training
program for High School students. Students may work with youth in after-school
programs or assist with development of after-school activities.
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- Internet Access/Technology
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The COPC Center will offer computer classes at various sites in the community,
create an asset map of the community using GIS software, assist with web-site
development for community partners, and will bridge the growing digital divide.
This committee is perfect for students with computer skills and an interest in
technology in community settings.
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