Typical Detroit Orientation Program*
Day One Agenda, 8 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Welcome and Introductions
Our journey begins with continental breakfast in the Community Room of the Undergraduate Library at Wayne State University.
Regional Roots: The Birth and Evolution and Detroit and Its People
Video introduction to metro Detroit.
Metropolitan Detroit's Diverse Population: a Closer Look
Candid discussion with local representatives of the Arab-American, Asian, Latino, Polish, African-American and Jewish communities follows a look at metro Detroit's demographic profile.
Arts, Culture and Entertainment: Detroit is Connected!
Bus tour followed by lunch at Orchestra Hall or the Detroit Opera House and a conversation with area cultural leaders. A walking tour of Detroit's Theatre District takes the group through the streets of downtown followed by a visit to the Motown Historical Museum.
Day Two Agenda, 8 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Public Education: Many Paths to Improvement
A look at issues being debated and implemented in Michigan and locally, and an opportunity to meet students and teachers in their classrooms at a Detroit public school.
Touring the West Side
History and lore of Detroit's west side come to life on a bus tour of neighborhoods, commercial life and religious and cultural institutions.
History and Importance of the Faith Based Community
Lunch at Hartford Memorial Baptist Church. Hartford Memorial is known for its progressive, courageous, and strong leadership.
Rebuilding Downtown Detroit: One Step at a Time
Developers, corporate executives, architects and public servants describe successes and challenges in Detroit's revitalization efforts.
Living Locally: A Visit to Southwest Detroit
A closer look at one of Detroit's most vibrant neighborhoods, featuring an opportunity to meet residents and business owners over dinner at a favorite locale.
Day Three Agenda, 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Think of Detroit - Think of Cars: The Automobile Industry
A discussion with experts about the auto industry's role in metropolitan Detroit today and in the future at the Model T Automotive Heritage Complex (T-Plex).
Touring the East Side
Neighborhoods, demographics, commercial life and history of Detroit's east side are discovered as our bus crosses the "great divide," Woodward Avenue.
Meeting one of Detroit's Own
A notable Detroiter shares points of view with the DOI audience following lunch on the Wayne State University campus.
All Politics is Local: Public Issues in Southeast Michigan
Political luminaries from throughout the region engage in a free-wheeling discussion of topics that bind and separate local governing units and their citizens.
A Talk Among Ourselves
DOI participants share reactions and observations about what they have seen and heard during the DOI experience at a closing reception - a favorite with Institute groups.
* Speakers, places and topics may change from program to program.