The Community Leadership degree program at Henry Ford College prepares students interested in making a positive impact on individuals and society through meaningful work and careers in fields such as community and economic development, community organizing, and policy advocacy. Through this degree program, students learn the skills and develop their talents to become agents of positive, social change in various aspects of their careers and communities.

Associate’s Degree is part of a unique partnership called the Community Learning Partnership. This is a partnership between Henry Ford Community College and community partners from the non-profit and public sectors in southeast Michigan dedicated to helping link learning experiences to real-world opportunities for community change work.

Students who pursue this degree receive mentoring and leadership opportunities with professionals in the community.  Students also gain practical, hands-on experience through internships and field experiences with local community organizations.

Our partnership is a network of dedicated organizations within our three communities that collectively provide and/or facilitate the following: recruitment of students, internships and learning opportunities for students, and placement opportunities for graduates. Together the academic and community partners have developed the educational pathway and infrastructure for implementing the Community Learning Partnership in our area.

• Academic Partners
  • The University of Michigan-Dearborn
  • Henry Ford College
  • Marygrove College
• Community Partners
  • Southwest Solutions
  • Urban Neighborhood Initiatives
  • ACCESS
  • Corporation for a Skilled Workforce
  • Cody Rouge Community Action Alliance
  • Detroit Jobs Alliance
  • Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation

Our program has the advantage of having had the participation of four-year, two-year, and k-12 institutions present from the very beginning of our local CLP. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of our academic and community partners we have established educational and career pathways for our future program participants. Detroit is a unique site for many reasons. We are a city infamous in some circles, but Detroit is much more than that. In the wake of the historic bankruptcy, Detroit is a city ready for change. Change is inevitable. Detroit is in a critical phase of restructuring and as a consequence the metropolitan area will also be affected. The next few years will shape the Detroit of the future. We plan to contribute to this greater Detroit narrative by shaping the future leaders of this movement.