Real data. Real change. See how AYG's enrichment programs have transformed attendance rates, reduced discipline referrals, improved test scores, and revitalized neighborhoods across Detroit.
The numbers tell the story of AYG's impact on Detroit schools and neighborhoods.
Up from 52% at Burns Elementary
Referrals reduced after two years
Central Collegiate 2013 & 2014
School-based & community programs
Burns Elementary/Middle School was AYG's first school partner — and the proving ground for our enrichment model. When we arrived in 2011, attendance stood at just 52%. Discipline referrals were rampant, and many families felt disconnected from the school community.
Through a combination of targeted tutoring, one-on-one mentoring, the Homework Hotline, after-school activities, and behavior intervention programs, AYG systematically addressed the root causes of absenteeism and disengagement. By year two, attendance had surged to 76%, and discipline referrals dropped 47%. By the 2014-15 school year, attendance exceeded 90% — a nearly 40-percentage-point transformation.
The Burns story demonstrates what's possible when dedicated volunteers, committed educators, and supportive families work together with a clear plan and consistent execution.
When AYG expanded to Central Collegiate Academy in 2013, we brought our proven model to the high school level — adapting programs like tutoring, mentoring, and student government for older students preparing for college and careers.
The results were immediate and significant. District, state, and college assessment test scores increased across the board. The student dropout rate — a persistent challenge for urban high schools — fell below 15% in both the 2013 and 2014 school years, meaning more than 85% of students stayed in school and on track for graduation.
At Central Collegiate, AYG's student government program was especially impactful. By giving students a voice in school decisions, we saw improvements in school culture, student ownership, and peer-to-peer accountability that extended well beyond the classroom.
Watch the trajectory of AYG's impact at Burns Elementary — from 52% baseline to 90%+ sustained attendance.
AYG's impact extends beyond school walls into the neighborhoods where our students live, play, and grow.
Regular neighborhood clean-up events mobilizing students and families
Securing vacant homes to reduce blight and improve safety
Environmental stewardship with Greening Detroit partners
Bringing families, volunteers, and organizations together
AYG's community mission is built on a simple truth: children can't thrive in neighborhoods that don't. When streets are littered, homes are abandoned, and green spaces are neglected, students carry that weight into the classroom.
That's why AYG partners with organizations like Greening Detroit to organize regular block cleanups, vacant home board-ups, and tree planting events in neighborhoods like Morningside, East English Village, Cornerstone Village, Barton-McFarland, and Dexter/Linwood. These aren't one-off events — they're sustained commitments to neighborhood transformation.
When students participate in cleaning up their own blocks, planting trees on their own streets, and securing homes in their own neighborhoods, something shifts. They develop ownership, pride, and a sense of agency that carries over into their academic lives and beyond.
AYG has partnered with schools across Detroit to deliver enrichment programs that produce measurable results.
Every percentage point of improved attendance represents real students who showed up — students who might have otherwise fallen through the cracks. Every discipline referral avoided is a student who stayed in class learning instead of sitting in the office. Every student who didn't drop out is a young person who stayed on track for graduation, college, and career.
These aren't just numbers. They're lives changed, futures built, and communities strengthened. And with your support, we can bring these results to even more schools and neighborhoods across Detroit.
Every dollar donated, every hour volunteered, and every partnership formed helps us reach more students and transform more neighborhoods. Join the movement today.