Brilliant Together is a community of top experts, leaders and changemakers dedicated to strengthening families and children from belly (0) to age eight. Monthly conversations explore a range of topics and thought leadership on engaging families, mobilizing communities and providing children with the support they need to reach their full potential. Brilliant Together, available on Apple and Spotify, is spearheaded by Brilliant Detroit, a dynamic nonprofit network of hubs in Detroit with a proven track record of improving reading skills by three grade levels and building Kids Success neighborhoods.

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Family Resilience Specialist Roberto Paredes of Brilliant Detroit interviews Lindsay Pielack, co-director of garden development at Keep Growing Detroit, an organization dedicated to creating a food sovereign city where over half of the fruits and vegetables consumed by Detroiters are grown by its residents. This discussion is centered around efforts to engage and support early childcare providers and provide families with young children tools and activities for garden-based learning. Both experts discuss the positive impact gardening has on children including the observation of plants, insects, and soil to deepening their connection with nature, each other and the food they eat.

Episode 14: Growing Gardens and Young Minds in Detroit

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Brilliant Detroit host Roberto Paredes interviews Mellissa Foley, founder of Hopscotch Girls, an enterprise dedicated to empowering girls through activities that build self-esteem, spark curiosity, creative expression, financial fluency, and positive relationships. After her daughter was showered with princess gifts on her third birthday, Melissa has spent the past 10 years developing and shining a light on books, resources and activities for raising smart, confident and brave girls. This episode covers timely topics from skin care and sports to literacy, arts and crafts and identifies retail partners, products and online content available to parents and others dedicated to raising strong girls.

Episode 13: Breaking the Mold and Inspiring Pathways for Young Girls

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In today’s episode, Rich Colon of Brilliant Detroit hosts a conversation about the unique challenges that individuals of color on the spectrum face with acclaimed expert, Camille Proctor. Camille founded and serves as the executive director of The Color of Autism, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending the stigma of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in communities of color and empowering families to recognize the early signs and access tools, resources and guidance so their children may reach their fullest potential. Over the past few years, The Color of Autism has helped over 700 families around the country in addition to its partnership with Brilliant Detroit. Camille Proctor keeps her mission front and center through university speaking engagements, published articles and her work as an appointee to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), a federal advisory position critical to shaping policy and future research.

Episode 12: Championing African American Families with Autistic Children

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Brilliant Detroit host, Rich Colon interviews Alyce Hartman, STEM educator and founder of Birdie’s Bookmobile, a mobile library that provides exceptional literacy programming, children’s and young adult’s books to students at no cost. Since its founding in 2022, Birdie’s Bookmobile has provided over 20,000 books to children in Detroit. Alyce describes some of the dynamic programming, partnerships and favorite activities that Birdie’s Bookmobile conducts to inspire a lifelong love of reading.

Episode 11: Delivering the Joy of Reading

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In today’s episode, Rich Colon of Brilliant Detroit and Crystal Jolly-Washington, Children’s Librarian at the Sherwood Forest Branch of Detroit Public Library, unpack the many positive ways reading as a family improves a child’s literacy skills and cognitive development. Crystal gives recommendations for optimizing the practice of reading, comprehension and language arts development through simple, everyday tasks like cooking. She also shares different programs that are available online and at the local library and even suggested activities available to parents by text. Crystal describes the benefits of social reading, one-on-one time and the power of squeezing in small increments of reading aloud to children whenever possible. Lastly, Crystal highlights lauded programming like “Mother Goose on the Loose,” available online and at select libraries, along with other ways to keep children engaged in reading over the summer months.

Episode 10: The Benefits of Reading to Children

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In today’s episode, host Rich Colon invites Brilliant Detroit’s Family Support Manager and fellow father Joseph Patrick to join him in a rousing game of Q&amp;A. Armed with nothing but their life experience, the pair blindly pulls questions from a bowl and tackles some burning topics around fatherhood and the importance of fathers in kids&#39; lives. With a mix of deep and lighthearted moments, this conversation is a must listen and destined for a sequel.

Episode 9: The Importance of Fathers in Kids’ Lives

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Enjoy a heartfelt discussion with Vivian Washington, an expert educator in child and family development at the Children and Youth Institute of Michigan State University Extension. Vivian shares a glimpse into her work with parents, professionals and children to support healthy social-emotional and overall growth and development. Listeners will learn about free in-person and online classes, books and popular programs available to support parents and volunteers working with children. She also shares a few techniques to use when dealing with challenging behaviors from the Building Early Emotional Skills (BEES) program.

Episode 8: Equipping Parents and Children with Knowledge, Activities and Resources for Growth

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In this episode of Brilliant Together, Rich Colon hosts Dr. Trina Clayeux, CEO of Give an Hour, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing barrier-free access to mental health care and educational support for those in need. Dr. Trina Clayeux brings a wealth of knowledge from her extensive background which includes time spent leading social impact organizations and college systems, improving treatment for members of the military and providing therapy to communities affected by mass violence. While acknowledging a large gap in the number of professional clinicians and those seeking mental health care, Dr. Trina Clayeux espouses the positive impact of peer-to-peer support and counseling from those with lived experience and special training. She and Rich cover the healing power of human connection, honest conversations about past experiences and the hope and strength that can come from one person sharing his or her journey to recovery.

Episode 7: The Value of Peer-to-Peer Mental Health Support

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In today’s episode, we shine a light on some of the incredible leaders working out of the Brilliant Detroit Martin Park Hub. For listeners unfamiliar with the city, Martin Park is a tight-knit community located just South of Palmer Park and East of University of Detroit Mercy’s campus. The neighborhood was once the home of Motown legends Martha Reeves and Gladys Knight, but today there are new luminaries in Karlita Johnson, Brittane Harris and Chantai Williams. All three of these women play important roles in the success of our Martin Park site; Karlita as our Outreach Manager and Brittane and Chantai as volunteer members of our Brilliant Detroit Advisory Board and highly engaged parents. We are so grateful to have such active leaders and passionate advocates as we build kids’ success in Martin Park.

Episode 6: Brilliant People of Martin Park

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Always a champion for children, Larry Charleston, a masterful community engagement specialist, shares stories and recommendations for getting more men involved as role models and active participants in kid success. This feel-good episode covers the positive impact ranging from simple read-alouds to the mutually beneficial outcomes from his effective “Off the Chest” program. Brilliant Detroit’s Rich Colon hosts this energized conversation and shared belief in tapping the power of men.

Episode 4: Engaging Men in Kids Success

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Brilliant Detroit’s Rich Colon hosts Richard Smart and Devon Jackson, two impressive civic leaders passionate about harnessing the power of educated black men to impact the outcomes of troubled youth. Both were drawn to civic service as part of their affiliation with the global fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi, and its efforts to inspire young people to leadership in social, educational and economic transformation. Both Richard and Devon share personal stories of moments of service with Brilliant Detroit as well as challenge listeners to mentorship and service themselves.

Episode 5: Black Men Impact Kids' Lives

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Cassie Williams, Executive Director of K-12 Literacy for Detroit Public Schools, hosts a conversation with Lexie Neeley of Little Free Library and Michelle Torgerson from Raising a Reader. This inspiring discussion covers the deep impact reading has on developing empathy, critical thinking and expression while strengthening family bonds.

Episode 1: Reading is a Family Affair

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Former NFL player, Alan Ball, now a small business investor, licensed builder, developer, and owner of Next Phase Investments, shares the impact literacy and a strong education had on his career after football, as well as his mission to pay that forward. While his professional work includes building residences in highly distressed neighborhoods, Alan also trains and mentors high school, college, and professional athletes for success off the field. He is passionate about coaching boys and young men to take on greater roles and bigger dreams.

Episode 2: Men for Kids; High-Impact Mentorship

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Carolyn and Jim Bellinson, prominent lawyers, business owners and co-founders of Brilliant Detroit with Cindy Eggleton share their passion for helping others and what led to the creation of Brilliant Detroit. This discussion dives into the challenges and opportunities they faced in one of the nation’s most fractured cities, and the growing successes that are currently being realized. The Bellinsons share a vision for expansion into other Brilliant Cities until our nation enjoys fully resourced and thriving communities that no longer require such support.

Episode 3: The Beginning of Something Brilliant

Brilliant Together is a community of top experts, leaders and changemakers dedicated to strengthening families and children from belly (0) to age eight. Monthly conversations explore a range of topics and thought leadership on engaging families, mobilizing communities and providing children with the support they need to reach their full potential. Brilliant Together , available on Apple and Spotify, is spearheaded by Brilliant Detroit, a dynamic nonprofit network of hubs in Detroit with a proven track record of improving reading skills by three grade levels and building Kids Success neighborhoods.