GM Student Corps Expands to Include Flint

FLINT, MI--April 3, 2014: The GM Student Corps kicked off its second year today, expanding the summer internship program to include a new team of 10 students from Flint Southwestern Classical Academy high school.

General Motors made the announcement at the annual meeting of the Flint and Genesee Chamber of Commerce.

This year's Student Corps will provide 120 Detroit-area and Flint students from 12 high schools with paid internships and the opportunity to give back to their neighborhoods. Teams of 10 students from each school will select and complete community service projects throughout the summer, supported by GM retiree mentors and GM interns from the University of Detroit Mercy. Student Corps in Detroit is an extension of GM's partnership with United Way's Network of Excellence Schools.

Once again, the teams will tackle restoration, repair, landscaping and cleanup projects at neighborhood parks and schools, developing teamwork, leadership skills and a service mindset. All of this year's high school students are new to the program. The teams are selecting their projects now; work begins in mid-June and concludes in mid-August.

"Last year, the bright young people in the GM Student Corps learned valuable skills that will help them succeed as professionals and citizens, and many of them told us it was a life-changing experience," said Mark Reuss, executive vice president of GM Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain. "Expanding the program to Flint reflects our deep commitment to the city and its people. We look forward to seeing what these terrific students will accomplish."

Former GM executive and University of Detroit Mercy economics professor Mike DiGiovanni returns to co-lead the retiree mentors with retired GM executive Larry Hice, who participated in the Student Corps first year in 2013.

While Student Corps serves as the first paid job for many of the students, it offers more than work experience; it is a comprehensive professional development program. Students will work with their mentors to manage all aspects of their projects, from budgeting, planning, problem solving and execution. Students also attend a financial planning seminar, engage in life-skills sessions about topics such as decision making and resume writing. They tour GM facilities and UDM for exposure to a variety of career and educational opportunities.

The schools selected the students based on leadership potential, dedication, determination and grit, school activities, citizenship and academic performance. Leaders from each student team will formally present their results to Reuss and his staff at the end of the summer.

The 2013-2014 Detroit-area schools include Central Collegiate Academy, Detroit Public Schools Cody Campus, East Detroit High School, Hamtramck High School, Harper Woods High School, Henry Ford High School, Madison High School, Melvindale High School, Detroit Public Schools Osborn Campus, River Rouge High School and Van Dyke Lincoln High School. Many of the retirees who worked with students from these schools return to the program this year and continue to mentor the students from last summer.

Among last summer's accomplishments, Detroit Student Corps teams refurbished eight parks, planted 425 trees, shrubs and flowers, laid 392 yards of mulch, applied 223 gallons of paint, disposed of 205 bags and 29 Dumpsters of plant overgrowth and refuse and distributed 30,000 pounds of food via local hunger organizations.