With nearly 300 million vehicles registered in the United States, transportation is one of the largest business sectors in the United States and one of the leading factors of climate change.
But companies like Ford are among leading business that are striving to meet the sustainability demands of the modern day. Electric vehicle production has ramped up in recent years and Ford’s headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan is ground zero for this transformation.
For the past two years, Planet Forward student journalists have had the opportunity to cover automobile and technological innovation spearheaded by Ford and other local partners in Dearborn.
In March 2025, Planet Forward Director of Academic Adventures Dr. Imani Cheers accompanied five student journalists on an 24-hour trip to explore, engage with the exciting innovations in Dearborn.
Morghan Manuel, Howard University; Amanda Eric, Pomona University; Guinevere MacLowry, Vivien Williams, and Kelsey Baker from George Washington University were invited to Ford Motor Company headquarters to investigate the sustainability efforts undertaken by Ford and their neighbors Michigan Central and Newlab.
The students began their trip at Michigan Central Station where they heard talks from Pulitzer Prize winning food and movie critics. The speakers talked about the importance of critique in today’s media landscape and the value of disagreeing about art.
The following day, the Planet Forward team was invited to Ford Motor Company headquarters by Artealia Gilliard, Ford’s head of Sustainability Communications & Advocacy and the GW Alliance for a Sustainable Future’s first Sustainable Future Fellow, to investigate the sustainability efforts undertaken by Ford.
The group of students learned from Ford experts and Head of Sustainability Communications and Advocacy at Ford, Artealia Gilliard. (Dr. Imani M. Cheers)
The group started its adventure at the Living Roof and the Dearborn Truck Plant Visitor Center. Their trip included a walking tour around their on-site orchard, learning about their beehives and ponds, and about the wildlife preservation systems they have in place to ensure the plant’s surrounding plants and animals stay happy and healthy. They then went behind the scenes to learn more about Ford’s environmental initiatives and sustainable designs, particularly in relation to their F150 truck. The F150 is almost entirely made of aluminium — a metal that Ford says is lightweight, strong, and, of course, 100% recyclable. The group even got to observe the assembly line of workers on the factory floor who take the cars from basic parts to a finished product.
After the Ford tour, the students journeyed back to Michigan Central to learn how sustainability and innovation connect, and why it’s important to have these initiatives established in Dearborn, so close to Ford. Michigan Central is a 30-acre tech and cultural center that includes Newlab, a venture platform at the intersection of a variety of core industries. Newlab is particularly focused on localizing supply chains to reduce reliance on imports and moving companies to Detroit so they can work in their offices, connect with other creators, and find investors.
For this experiential reporting trip, each student was given a challenge: Pitch, prepare and produce a 60 second vertical video for social media about one of five randomly assigned tech start-ups and initiatives. Newlab, Michigan Central, Voltpost, Intermode and Shandoka Electric Motorcycle were available for brief interviews after a full itinerary of site visits.
You can check out their stories and others from our Michigan trips below!
This website uses cookies to provide you with an improved and personalized experience. By using this site you agree to our use of cookies. Please read our cookies policy for more information on the cookies we use and how to delete or block them.
All Topics 
