In March 2025 I accompanied five student journalists on an 24-hour trip to explore, engage and educate ourselves about the exciting innovations in Dearborn, Michigan. As the Director of Academic Adventures for Planet Forward, our experiential learning opportunities are central to our core mission. 

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 into today’s media landscape and the value of disagreeing about art. When we have cultural critics to break down why something does or does not work, it allows us as viewers to think more deeply and make more informed opinions moving forward. 

The following day we were 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 started its adventure at the Living Roof and the Dearborn Truck Plant Visitor Center. Our 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. We 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. We 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 our Ford tour, we 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. It was so exciting to see all of the startups and technologies that are propelling business and companies toward a more sustainable future. 

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.

-Dr. Imani M. Cheers