Brilliant Detroit

Brilliant Detroit was founded in 2016 to provide a radically new and coordinated approach to kindergarten readiness in the city of Detroit. Our co-founders were motivated by alarming statistics regarding childhood poverty rates and kindergarten and 3rd grade reading levels. They came up with a model of service that leveraged unused housing stock to consolidate services in neighborhoods, eliminating barriers caused by unreliable transportation. However, this concept evolved into more than an organization. Brilliant Detroit is a community dedicated to building kid success neighborhoods where families with children 0-8 have what they need to be school-ready, healthy, and stable. 

An essential piece of the success of our model is collaboration with a neighborhood and its residents. We believe in a “with, for, and by” model and only enter a new neighborhood when we’re invited in. We conduct months of listening sessions, and build relationships and secure buy-in from neighbors and community leaders. Once this is achieved, we purchase and renovate a vacant house, transforming it into a community hub. Many of our hub staff come from the neighborhoods we work in and are expert relationship-builders. As a result, children and families feel a sense of comfort and trust once they enter our bright orange doors, especially since we are right down the street!

With the support of over 250 partner organizations, we provide access to programs, services, and resources in the areas of education, health, family support, and neighbor-to-neighbor connections at each hub location. We currently have 17 operational hubs spread throughout every area in Detroit, several more sites in development, and have a goal of having 24 committed neighborhoods in Detroit.

Our model is working! Children in our high-dosage tutoring program have improved by three reading levels and we’ve exceeded our success metrics in all areas. Our Detroit Reads initiative helped 92% of students either maintain or improve their reading abilities over the course of the summer, a time when youth generally experience a loss of academic skills. We’ve served over 30,000 kids and caregivers to date, and the numbers continue to grow. 

The history of Detroit is one of resilience and persistence. Communities are full of families that want what is best for their children. Now is the time to commit to being an advocate for kid success so we can work together to prepare and support the next generation of young Detroiters. Please join our kid success movement today by donating below! Your donation is an investment in a more equitable future where zip codes no longer determine the outcomes of our children.