The mission of Summer in the City (SITC) is to change the impact of volunteers on Detroit and of Detroit on volunteers. By bringing a diverse group of young people together to invest their energy in Detroit, Summer in the City programs address the immediate needs of city neighborhoods and foster a regional mindset. SITC partners with nonprofits, schools and other community groups throughout Detroit to paint bright, beautiful murals that strengthen community identity and solidarity.

Each year, one mural project serves as the “finale,” the culmination of a summer of service. In addition to the multi-story mural -- painted hand in hand with community partners -- the location plays host to the annual Summer in the City Olympics, a fun-filled (non-competitive) day for kids from the neighborhood and all across Detroit.

Summer in the City murals have proven to be effective in deterring graffiti and promoting civic activity in neighborhoods throughout Detroit. As an expression of volunteer investment and self-determination, these murals sustain long after the summer comes to a close. This project funds the paint and materials to create a volunteer-powered, finale-worthy, large-scale mural in a deserving Detroit neighborhood.

Visit summerinthecity.com/2011finale for a look at last year's Big Picture.

Note: The final Friday mural creation takes place on August 17th, so fundraising for this project must have finished in advance of this.

Summer in the City partners with nonprofits, schools and other community groups throughout Detroit to paint bright, beautiful murals that strengthen community identity and solidarity. Each year's Finale Mural taps into the energy and creativity of the community. Past murals have been at high-visibility intersections, on schools and overlooking parks. Each of the prospective locations for the 2012 Finale Mural is an opportunity for a prominent, enduring expression of the spirit of Detroit.

By bringing a diverse group of young people together to invest their energy in Detroit, Summer in the City programs address the immediate needs of city neighborhoods and foster a regional mindset. Finale Friday creates a space for people of all ages: children participating in the SITC Olympics, high school and college volunteers from near and far, neighbors and partners who have been living and working in the community for years.

Community member details not available yet.

Direct Impact of Your Project

The prospective locations each offer a strong benefit to the immediate community. Pedestrians, passersby, students, families and neighbors will enjoy the artistic design. Further, the elimination of graffiti and deterrence of illegal dumping offer improved safety and stability.

Extended Impact on Your Partner Community

Beyond the people in immediate proximity, the mural will provide a halo effect for the broader community, expressing the neighborhood's investment and identity to people from across the city and region. "Welcome to Woodbridge", the 2006 Finale Mural, has become a landmark and greeting from one of Detroit's most dynamic neighborhoods.

Visit http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ben-falik/making-of-a-mural-summer-in-the-city_b_1096002.html to view an article and pictures of the mural from 2006.