Downriver Career Technical Consortium
22000 Gibraltar Road, Flat Rock, MI 48134
Malin Wagner, director; 1-734-782-3194
Web: www.resa.net/dctc
The DCTC focuses its attention on classes in career technology. Twenty-five programs from health occupations to building trades are offered.
The concept of local school districts being able to share vocational programs began in 1965 when Flat Rock, Gibraltar and Grosse Ile initiated an eight-program area to be jointly utilized. Today, participating school districts are Airport, Flat Rock, Gibraltar, Grosse Ile, Huron, Riverview, Southgate, Trenton and Woodhaven-Brownstown.
Cooperation has been a major element of the consortium's growth and development. Most programs are held at host schools within the participating school districts.

Downriver Literacy Council
14101 Leroy, Southgate, MI 48195
Judy Cock, coordinator; 1-734-246-4633
The Literacy Council of Southgate Adult Education was formed in 1986 to promote adult literacy through training and the support of volunteer adult reading tutors.
The Downriver Literacy Council aids adults needing basic skills in reading and math. Trained tutors work with adults one-on-one or in classrooms. Tutoring is done at libraries, schools, churches and community centers. Other sites can be arranged.
Tutoring is confidential. Anyone wishing to become a tutor or who would like to work with a tutor can contact Literacy Coordinator Elaine Noel at the Downriver Literacy Council. Tutors are trained in the Michigan Method, which combines phonics, word family and sight word approaches to teach new words. Tutor training workshops are held twice each year.

Great Start Collaborative-Wayne
One Heritage Drive, Suite 230, Southgate, MI 48195
Pat Sargent, executive director; 1-734-285-4001
Web: www.greatstartcollaborativewayne.org
Great Start Collaborative-Wayne's mission is to engage the entire community to assure a coordinated system of services and resources for Wayne County families and their children from birth to age 5.

Taylor Career and Technical Center
9601 Westlake, Taylor, MI 48180
Ed Buchynski, director; 1-313-295-5757
Web: www.taylorschools.net/career_center/index.htm
The Taylor Career and Technical Center sponsors 10 career-technical education programs serving approximately 650 students. Programs such as manufacturing, health sciences, construction, automotive technology, computer-aided design, computer office specialists, computer information technology, computer information Web master, electronics, culinary arts and hospitality serve primarily Taylor School District students and other participating public and parochial school students.
Career and Technical Center programs are available to students in the 11th and 12th grades who desire academic and career-technical training to prepare them for a job or further training at a community college, university or other formal technical training programs.

The Guidance Center - Center for Excellence
13111 Allen Road, Southgate, MI 48195 1-734-785-7710
Web: www.guidance-center.org
The 9,600-square-foot center has a 90-seat ampitheater, resource library, conference room, discussion room with adjacent viewing room, display areas and work cubicles. The conference and research facility is for evaluating programs and creating fresh approaches. It's available as a rental facility, with an event planner, to host large meetings, seminars or corporate receptions.

The Guidance Center - Head Start
13101 Allen Road, Southgate, MI 48195 1-734-785-7700
Web: www.guidance-center.org
Head Start is a free, comprehensive preschool program for children from low-income families, foster children and children with disabilities. The Guidance Center's program serves children and their families in Downriver and western Wayne County at multiple sites.

The Guidance Center - Youth To Work Project
15601 North Line Road, Southgate, MI 48195
Virginia Harris, manager; 1-734-785-7705, ext. 7438
Web: www.guidance-center.org
The work force development program is designed to provide at-risk youths and young adults (ages 17-24) with vocational services and support. Training provides skills, tools and opportunities to achieve career goals. The major focus is to assist people in entering the labor market and to become self-sufficient. Training includes life skills development, academic support, paid work experiences and long-term support.

Wayne County Regional Educational Service Agency
33500 Van Born Road, Wayne, MI 48184
Christopher Wigent, superintendent; 1-734-334-1300
Web: www.resa.net
RESA, Wayne County's intermediate school district, provides a wide variety of services to 34 public school districts and private schools and charter schools in Wayne County, as well as other parts of the state.
The services RESA provide range from curriculum consulting and staff development to getting districts on the Internet and cooperative purchasing. RESA provides computer services to more than 60 school districts, four other educational service agencies and two community colleges.
All of the public school districts' Web sites can be linked from www.resa.net.