Ruth Mott Foundation, a community foundation with the mission to to advocate, stimulate, and support community vitality in Flint, Michigan and the organization that brought the Public Conversations Project to Flint

The Challenge: Flint, Michigan, once thrived. But the well-publicized issues of the city—General Motors job losses, economic depression, and crime—loomed large. Community members struggled with race and class inequities, concerns about their neighborhoods, and the need to create opportunities for young people. It was time to have difficult conversations and find constructive ways to address their challenges.

The Shift: The Ruth Mott Foundation selected PCP to train nonprofit leaders, local political figures, artists, and young people to increase the capacity of community groups to collaborate in the revitalization of the city. More than 70 were trained, and many have convened and facilitated dialogues about a variety of issues, ranging from public art to affirmative action to school reform. 

Click here find out how Flint youth used PCP's methods to address the issue of "sagging."

Click here to learn about PCP's trip to Flint in October, 2008.