North Flint Economic Prosperity Program
Project Name:
North Flint Economic Prosperity Program
Project Type:
Description:
The North Flint Economic Prosperity Program is part of a broader Neighborhood Economic Development Initiative aimed at improving the business climate and economic opportunities in areas outside of downtown Flint. UM-Flint’s current plans include pairing downtown activities with community satellites to connect Flint’s neighborhood business development with the downtown community of innovators and entrepreneurs, and vice versa. UM-Flint and University Outreach are particularly well positioned to act as a liaison between the campus and local community members and businesses. Many residents of Flint have lost faith in their local and state governments and large institutions. University Outreach has spent the last several years cultivating strong, trusting relationships with residents through a focus on engagement. We believe this proposal will allow us to help rebuild trust among and with Flint residents, while also fostering new skills and basic business knowledge to help community members become more economically independent and to improve economic development in neighborhoods. Supporting neighborhood-level economic development and increased business development skills are a natural next step for UM-Flint and the Innovation Incubator’s investment in the larger community.