Boggs Educational Center

Julia taught for five years in Detroit, including serving as writer-in-residence for the InsideOut Literary Magazine program. As a teenager, she was Detroit Summer’s first volunteer, later taking a leadership role. Julia wrote a regular column on education (“Learning for Life”) for the Michigan Citizen, which has been required reading at major Michigan universities. She attended the National Principals Leadership Institute as an Excellent Schools Detroit fellow in 2013 and was the keynote speaker at Eastern Michigan University's 2014 Eco-Justice Conference.

Klotylda Hartshorn Phillippi recently retired from her teaching at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.  She received her undergraduate degree from Alma College and her MA and PhD from Michigan State University where she also taught.

Patrick Crouch found his true calling in organic agriculture after graduating with a fine arts degree. Patrick has been with Earthworks Urban Farm/Capuchin Soup Kitchen since 2004. As Program Manager, Patrick oversees all programs, staff and interns. He directly oversees the farm, greenhouse and apiary and teaches monthly working lessons. Patrick is responsible for weekly Detroit Earthworks updates e-mails. He has been teaching urban gardening classes for the last eight years and assisted in the writing and development of the Urban Roots program, a community gardening training program.

Dr. Helaire is a positive youth development practitioner working to empower adolescents and young adults through mentoring programs, projects, and workshops aimed at personal, social and academic growth. He specializes in two areas: curriculum design and development and academic coaching. He received his BA in Psychology with Honors from Morehouse College, where he was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate, and his MS in Developmental Psychology and PhD in Education and Psychology from the University of Michigan.