Ginsberg Center’s Community Engagement @ Michigan Series 2025-2026

Do you do research or teaching in partnership with communities? Would you like to find ways to connect your work at U-M with local communities?  With a network of over 400 community partners across Washtenaw County and Southeast Michigan, Ginsberg Center works to connect local communities with U-M courses, researchers, internships and other community-engaged initiatives. In this workshop, we’ll take you beyond the data to help you understand local priorities and university-community dynamics in Washtenaw County. You’ll leave with an understanding of key issues facing our local community and answers to your questions about what local communities really want from U-M stakeholders. 

With special guest, Ginsberg Center Community Leader-in-Residence Jessica A.S. Letaw 

• Jessica A.S. Letaw (she/her) is a housing justice organizer whose work bridges policy, organizing, and racial justice. She has been deeply involved in land use and zoning reform efforts, housing affordability initiatives, and neighborhood-based organizing. With a background in architecture and public engagement, Jess combines technical knowledge of the built environment with questions around equity, belonging, and access. She is co-founder of FutureRoot, a woman-led collective working at the intersections of race, place, history and culture. She is also the co-founder of the Co-liberation Collaborative, working alongside white women and femmes to reimagine the role of white folks in political campaigns and movements; founded Ann Arbor Housing for All; and is the co-host of the local policy and politics podcast Ann Arbor AF. Her forthcoming book,MOVE, is a primer on housing organization for anyone. 

Open to U-M faculty, graduate students/GSIs, post-docs, admin/staff.