Brilliant Detroit Expands to Become Brilliant Cities

Brilliant Detroit, a nonprofit focusing on early childhood education in underserved communities, is set to expand beyond the Detroit area. CEO Cindy Eggleton announced that the organization would be rebranded as Brilliant Cities and will branch out to Philadelphia, Chicago, and Cleveland next year. The demand for Brilliant Detroit's services is significant, with 31 cities in seven countries on a waiting list.

The group, which began in 2016, currently operates 24 neighborhood hubs in Detroit, serving around 24,000 people. Each hub is housed in what once was an abandoned home and staffed with tutors and volunteers who assist children from kindergarten through third grade. Studies have found children in the program up their reading level by three grades and don't lose their gains in the summer. Eggleton attributes the program's success to strong community support: Brilliant Detroit hires locally, with 33% of employees from the neighborhoods they serve. The organization has received recognition from The Elevate Prize Foundation and the AARP Purpose Prize for its community-led approach. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)