Overview
In 2023, the Kresge Foundation's Education Team commissioned the Woods & Watts Effect to investigate how to increase HBCU degree completion among Detroit students — and ultimately bring those graduates back home to launch their careers in Michigan. The initiative was driven by compelling trend data revealing that when Detroit students chose out-of-state schools, more than 86% selected Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
Woods & Watts Effect, a Detroit-based equity and inclusion firm, conducted an 18-month community engagement study examining how expanded access to HBCUs can boost degree attainment, broaden economic mobility, and strengthen Detroit's workforce. The resulting report offers more than 30 recommendations designed to move Detroit students "to and through" HBCUs — and to encourage their return home after graduation. The firm was founded by HBCU alumnae Sommer Woods (Talladega College) and Michele Lewis-Watts (North Carolina A&T State University), whose shared experience shaped the study's vision and approach.
The team's mission was to learn from, share information with, and build alignment among key stakeholders — surfacing best practices to support Detroit students from college access through HBCU completion and into meaningful employment in Michigan.
Objectives
Results
Over 18 months, the Woods & Watts Effect engaged more than 350 students, parents, HBCU alumni, high school counselors, college access administrators, university leaders, and employers. Their final report, released in October 2025, captures the experiences, perspectives, and insights of this broad cross-section of Detroit's HBCU ecosystem — and delivers clear, actionable guidance for expanding opportunity and driving lasting impact.
In 2023, the Kresge Foundation's Education Team commissioned the Woods & Watts Effect to investigate how to increase HBCU degree completion among Detroit students — and ultimately bring those graduates back home to launch their careers in Michigan. The initiative was driven by compelling trend data revealing that when Detroit students chose out-of-state schools, more than 86% selected Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
Woods & Watts Effect, a Detroit-based equity and inclusion firm, conducted an 18-month community engagement study examining how expanded access to HBCUs can boost degree attainment, broaden economic mobility, and strengthen Detroit's workforce. The resulting report offers more than 30 recommendations designed to move Detroit students "to and through" HBCUs — and to encourage their return home after graduation. The firm was founded by HBCU alumnae Sommer Woods (Talladega College) and Michele Lewis-Watts (North Carolina A&T State University), whose shared experience shaped the study's vision and approach.
The team's mission was to learn from, share information with, and build alignment among key stakeholders — surfacing best practices to support Detroit students from college access through HBCU completion and into meaningful employment in Michigan.
Objectives
- Document the existing resources, services, and stakeholders that form the network and pathways supporting students' access to and success at HBCUs
- Identify opportunities to further strengthen those networks and pathways
- Develop a comprehensive framework of best practices and strategic recommendations for Detroit's student-to-HBCU access and success ecosystem
- Foster a collaborative environment among individuals and organizations that best serves students
- Provide data-informed, practical guidance for student pathways to HBCUs
- Create a replicable framework applicable to other communities
Results
Over 18 months, the Woods & Watts Effect engaged more than 350 students, parents, HBCU alumni, high school counselors, college access administrators, university leaders, and employers. Their final report, released in October 2025, captures the experiences, perspectives, and insights of this broad cross-section of Detroit's HBCU ecosystem — and delivers clear, actionable guidance for expanding opportunity and driving lasting impact.