Renewed corporate investment by Chrysler LLC, Ford Motor Company and the Detroit Newspaper Partnership, leveraged grants from the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) under the Detroit Neighborhoods Now initiative as well as the Detroit Workforce Development Department (DWDD) to establish an Adult Education Center.  The Center makes it possible for SER to continue to offer educational programming and to also expand the program to serve a greater number of older youth and adults in need of enhanced basic skills and educational credentials necessary for post secondary education or training and labor market success.

The original program was sponsored by the Chrysler Foundation, Comerica, Detroit Newspaper Partnership, DTE Energy, Ford Motor Company, and the Myron P. Leven Foundation, entities that came together to support SER Metro-Detroit’s education program aimed at raising the skill level of older youth from low income communities so they can earn the GED Credential and better compete for a good job.  The outcomes of this program were exceptional with more than 150 individuals served and more than 80% increasing their skills by two grade levels minimum.