Detroit program builds youth skill, leadership

By ANJANA SCHROEDER
Capital News Service
LANSING – In the middle of a city whose glory days belong to past generations, YouthVille Detroit promotes hope and pride in the future. YouthVille’s founder, Gerald K. Smith, believed young people needed a safe place, responsible, caring adults engaged in their lives and involvement in their own development, the nonprofit organization says. Rita Clark, the director of programs, was there at its inception in 2005. Clark said YouthVille is a youth development center that services people ages 11-19 and gives them high-performance learning opportunities. YouthVille teaches a wide range of skills from pottery and music production to leadership and service learning.