City Institute officially launches focusing on a deeper understanding of Detroitand sharing lessons learned with other cities
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March 18 , 2022 Dally@featherstonemoments.com
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City Institute officially launches focusing on a deeper understanding of Detroit
and sharing lessons learned with other cities
Building off the experience of taking 150,000 people on Detroit tours
Detroit, MI - Since 2006, Detroit Experience Factory (DXF) has provided immersive storytelling to educate locals and visitors about Detroit’s people, places and projects. DXF has taken 150,000 people on experiential tours of Detroit since launching, but the recent uprisings and the pandemic have highlighted, the need for a deeper understanding of Detroit, and all cities, focusing on how cities got to where they are today and how they can work towards becoming thriving and equitable places in the future.To that end, DXF will be sunsetting at the end of April and City Institute step in to take the work of experiential storytelling to the next level.
City Institute is a team of data-driven storytellers and community connectors, led by DXF Founder and lifelong Detroiter, Jeanette Pierce, that provides a deeper understanding of Detroit and shares lessons learned with other communities through lively, engaging learning experiences. City Institute provides private virtual and in-person tours, learning journeys, city experience consulting and speaking engagements that are thoughtfully researched, focusing on providing historical context and sharing community stories often missing from traditional textbooks or overlooked by most media outlets. These tours and experiences include conversations with residents, local entrepreneurs and community leaders in neighborhoods around the city.
“DXF will always be part of our DNA, but as Detroit has grown and evolved, so have we. ,” says Jeanette Pierce, founder of City Institute. “City Institute will not only go deeper and provide more context than DXF but it will also expand beyond Detroit to help other cities tell their story.”
As part of City Institute’s plans to introduce City Institute officially, she has lined up the following:
On April 21, 2022, the City Institute will host a Detroit Innovation & Inspiration Learning Journey which includes guest speakers Regina Ann Campbell- Build Institute, Joe Rashid - E. Warren Development Corp., Roula David - Spot Lite Detroit, Dan Carmody - Eastern Market Partnership, Lolita Haley - University Commons/Avenue of Fashion, Kim Tandy - City of Detroit
This immersive experience will help both longtime residents and newcomers understand how Detroit’s history shaped where we are today, connect with what’s happening now and be inspired to be a part of building an equitable and thriving Detroit.
Other upcoming City Institute tours aimed at informing civic engagement in Detroit and cities across the region include:
Redlining Racism and Segregation Virtual Tour -Thursday, 04/21 , 6:00 pm
Heart of the Art in Southwest led by artist Elton Monroy Durand - April 23rd - 1pm
Detroit Music Tour with Detroit Sound Conservancy - April 30th - 1pm
“When more people are informed and engaged in shaping a place’s future, there is a much better chance of that city becoming an equitable and thriving place for all”, says founder Jeanette Pierce.
For more information, visit Thecityinstitute.com
One early client summed up City Institute’s work this way: City Institute’s ability to combine observations of current conditions, historical facts, and recent statistics with powerful anecdotes and individual stories of Detroiters was extremely valuable in helping us begin to understand the complexity and dynamism of the city of Detroit.
Locally, City Institute provides a deeper understanding of Detroit so its residents and stakeholders can be better equipped to shape an equitable and thriving city.Globally, City Institute shares lessons learned from Detroit to inspire individuals, organizations and communities to innovate for a better future for all.
