Local Circles

Local Circles was founded in 2016 based on conversations with Detroit teens who said they wanted to make an impact on their community, but they also need to earn money. Local Circles believes that if we engage young Detroiters around their ideas through participatory research and pay them to do it, then young people will be motivated to be lifelong learners and activators around issues that impact their lives.

Our mission is to facilitate youth-led research in which young people pose their own questions and conduct research to inquire upon social issues that are meaningful to them. Our vision is to develop a generation of Detroiters whose leadership is based on information, curiosity, and community engagement.