Brilliant Detroit

Brilliant Detroit was founded in 2016 to provide a radically new and coordinated approach to kindergarten readiness in the city of Detroit. However, we are more than an organization – we are a community dedicated to building kid success neighborhoods where families with children 0-8 have what they need to be school-ready, healthy, and stable. 

Because we believe in a “with, for, and by” model and we only enter a new neighborhood when we’re invited in. We conduct months of listening sessions, and build relationships and buy-in from neighbors and community leaders. Once this is achieved, we purchase and renovate a vacant house, and transform it into a community home-based hub. Many of our hub staff come from the neighborhoods and are expert relationship-builders. As a result, children and families feel a sense of comfort and trust once they enter our bright orange doors, especially since we are right down the street!

Take a look at our brand video below to learn more!

With the support of over 180 partner organizations, we provide access to programs, services, and resources in the areas of education, health, family support, and neighbor-to-neighbor connections at each hub location. We currently have 17 operational hubs spread throughout every area in Detroit, several more sites in development, and will achieve our goal of 24 committed neighborhoods by the end of 2024.

Our model is working! Children in our high-dosage tutoring program have improved by three reading levels and we’ve exceeded our success metrics in all areas. Our Detroit Reads initiative helped 92% of students either maintain or improve their reading abilities over the course of the summer, a time when youth generally experience a loss of academic skills. We’ve served over 22,000 kids and caregivers to date, and the numbers continue to grow.