detroit — Brilliant Detroit, a fast-growing nonprofit that helps Detroit's children prepare for school, now wants to expand beyond the city's borders to major cities from Chicago to Philadelphia.
The Detroit organization has set up shop in a former home in the neighborhood and brings child development programs directly to residents.
This popular program has grown rapidly in Detroit. The organization says it started with 50 children in 2016 and has so far served 19,000 children in 18 regions. This year, they hope to expand to 24 locations and Pontiac.
Cindy Eggleton, the organization's CEO and co-founder, said the initiative, along with other parts of education, has led to improvements in students' reading comprehension.
“We exist to create a ‘kids thrive’ community,” she said. “Children and families have everything they need from birth until she's eight years old.”
The organization waits to be invited into the neighborhood, then moves into a house in need of repair, renovates it and uses it as a base of operations. Funding comes from grants from the state of Michigan and foundations. Its budget is $10 million, according to its annual report.
Eggleton said the group takes what it calls a holistic approach to supporting children and teaching them about health, nutrition, physical activity and relationship building.
We partner with 160 organizations to provide early childhood education, family support, and food. We are also forming advisory groups in our neighborhoods. Go here to find a location near you.
“We tailor our programs and activities to ensure children and families have what they need to measure their success,” Eggleton says.
The organization provides free programs and support to families with children from newborn to eight years old.
We offer one-on-one tutoring, GED preparation and testing for adults, health and fitness classes, nutritional information, reading activities, and social-emotional and mental health services. There will also be an all-day “Kids Club,” parenting classes, financial literacy classes, and youth gardening programs.
Camilia Martin said her 2-year-old son loves the weekly toddler activities at the organization's base in the Martin Park neighborhood on Detroit's west side. My two daughters, ages 5 and 7, have been attending since 2021.
Although Martin likes private tutoring and reading lessons, her children like to play with other children. Balloons don't hurt her either.
“What keeps me coming back? The joy and happiness that my children experience,” she said.
Selena and Brandon Parker have been bringing their son to the Martin Park facility for three months. They said their son Sirius, 2, didn't spend much time with kids his age and hoped the organization would provide him with a more social environment.
The couple said the organization has been a boon by providing a friendly environment and encouraging their son to interact with others.
“He's learning things we can't teach him,” Selena said. “They're very good with the kids.”
Couples also like the group because the children's parents support each other. They recently attended a program with other parents and got some good advice from others there.
“We all learned something,” Brandon said. “We had great conversations about how we raise our children. I call it the Child and Parent Development Program.”
