DETROIT—CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women) Detroit is gearing up for its seventh annual careers program at Quicken Loans in downtown Detroit.
An interactive mentoring program, CREW Careers is a hands-on experience designed to introduce teenage girls to the various careers available in commercial real estate. CREW Detroit members educate participants through a series of presentation modules and activities over a three-month period. Students then apply what they have learned at the end of the program during the “big event,” by working in teams to create a conceptual redevelopment proposal for a Detroit property. Last year, Quicken Loans brought the winning team’s idea to life by incorporating the design into one of their spaces.
The program has grown in size since it’s introduction, this year partnering with three Detroit area schools — Go Lightly Career & Technical Center, Randolph Career and Technical Center and Cristo Rey, a Detroit parochial school. In addition to exposing the young women to alternative careers, the program is also designed to enhance their interpersonal, presentation and networking skills.
“This year’s theme, At the Turning Point, highlights the strides that Detroit is making towards a transformation, and how the neighborhoods are a vital component for the city’s success,” said Ellen Mahoney, CREW Careers moderator and outreach committee chair. “The girls will be asked to create community centers from vacant Detroit Public Schools, that embody what they feel their own neighborhoods need in order to support this transformation and to make it sustainable.”
More than 100 young women from the participating schools have started preparing for this year’s event. By attending the in-school member hosted presentation modules, they are learning the commercial property development process and how real estate transactions transpire. This ensures that the students are equipped with an abundance of knowledge to complete the final project in only a few hours on event day, which is hosted by Quicken Loans.
Quicken Loans is located in the The Qube (previously known as the Chase Tower) at 611 Woodward Ave. To participate as a sponsor of CREW Careers or attend as a member of the media, contact Ellen Mahoney at 248-505-2509 or at emahoney@ctitleonline.com or Marcy Beck at 877-70-PLANT or at mbeck@colorscapesonline.com.
