New ASL courses partner student learning with civic engagement

College is right around the corner for millions of high school students nationwide. Detroit is home to thousands of those students, yet some of them don’t see college on the horizon. University of Michigan-Dearborn students hope to change that.

As part of Lara Rusch’s POL 323: Urban and Metropolitan Politics course, UM-Dearborn students are working closely this semester with those enrolled in Detroit Public Schools.

The goal? Encourage area high school students to climb the necessary hurdles that impede their path to college by working with Youth Voice, a grassroots organizing effort designed to give youth a greater voice in Detroit.

“It’s kind of a combination of leadership training and civic engagement,” said Rusch, assistant director of UM-Dearborn’s urban and regional studies program and assistant professor of political science.

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