DETROIT – Metro Detroit has seen a string of unsettling headlines involving young people so far this summer, from teen takeovers to violent crimes. Just this week, police arrested a teen accused of shooting a 5-year-old on Detroit’s west side.
But some Detroit-area teens say they don’t want those stories to define all young people -- especially those spending their summer working, learning new skills and trying to make a positive impact.
A few weeks into summer break, a group of teens could be found doing just that in Detroit’s Old Redford neighborhood. They are grabbing tools and getting to work on cleanup projects as part of Detroit Blight Busters’ Summer Youth Employment Program.
“It’s usually every day. We’ve got four to five hours,” said Jason Lowe Jr., a Cass Tech 11th grader participating in the program.
About 30 teens and young adults are working with Detroit Blight Busters right now, helping clear blight and improve blocks targeted for future development. For Lowe, it’s also his first summer job. He said it’s about more than a paycheck.
“It’s getting us out the streets, making us do different things, so we can come together,” Lowe said.
Organizers say the program is directly tied to the nonprofit’s broader goal of stabilizing and revitalizing neighborhoods—and they want participants to understand the “why” behind the work.
“You can’t just tell them to clean up the community,” said Gabriel Williams with Detroit Blight Busters. “You’ve got to actually tell them the purpose of it all.”
That purpose, leaders say, is multi-layered: improving neighborhoods while also helping teens build pride, responsibility, and leadership skills.
“You know, as adults, we can come through and fix everything,” said John George, president of Detroit Blight Busters. “But if the children aren’t there in lock step, working with you, and understanding the importance of working in their community—stabilizing it, revitalizing it—we’re wasting our time.”
For the young workers, the mission is personal.
“I really hope everybody can just keep this place clean, how we left it,” said student Jayce Hill.
Lowe said seeing progress at the end of the day is motivating and shows how small efforts can add up.
“I feel like I completed something,” he said. “The little work I’m putting in, the hard work I’m putting in, it’s coming to a bigger picture.”
More teens and young adults across the city are also gaining access to summer jobs. This week, the City of Detroit and its partners announced the Grow Detroit’s Young Talent summer employment program is expanding to provide jobs for 8,000 Detroiters ages 14 to 24.