Meet De’Janae Douglas

Today we’d like to introduce you to De’Janae Douglas. 

Hi De’Janae, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
I’ve always had a passion for education and helping others. When I graduated from Michigan State University, I kept saying that I wanted to start my own nonprofit organization. I would journal out my ideas and do little things within the community, such as curating and passing out blessing bags to those in need, but I just wasn’t ready to take that leap of faith. In January 2019, one of my close friends called me and said, “what are you waiting on, you keep saying this is what you want to do, so what is the issue?”. That was the push I needed! On top of that, I had a relative that would always write #ICARE under my social media posts. That night after I got off the phone, I began to pray and write out ideas, and iCARE Detroit was born! 

Working in education my entire career, I saw all of the disparities plaguing our education community. I wanted an organization that could educate the masses in different facets of life while empowering and uplifting our youth. i.C.A.R.E., which stands for Inspiring Change and Revolutionizing Education, was founded in 2019 with the aspiration of changing the way the world perceives education! 

It is our belief that education is the foundation of life. Our goal is to increase civic engagement, self-awareness, and promote social change by educating the community in traditional and nontraditional ways! 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting a business is not for the weak! It requires a lot of time, dedication, and capital for startup costs. There are a lot of challenges especially starting a business on your own with no prior knowledge or guidance. It is also complicated when you have other commitments and cannot focus solely on your business. Not to mention, a pandemic in the first three years of a new business is quite an obstacle, but hurdles are meant to be leaped over! iCARE Detroit will continue to grow and flourish because all things are possible with God! 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Born and raised in the City of Detroit, De’Janae is an advocate for education reform. De’Janae is a proud product of Detroit Public Schools (K-12). She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Michigan State University and a Masters of Educational Leadership from Wayne State University. De’Janae is certified through the State of Michigan’s Board of Education as an Administrator for grades K -12. She is also certified as a CPR-First Aid-AED instructor through the American Red Cross. De’Janae is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Wayne State University. She has over ten years of experience working in education, youth development, and community outreach. She has a plethora of experience educating youth, facilitating workshops and trainings that both engage and motivate the audience to grow personally and professionally. 

Through i.CARE Detroit, De’Janae aspires to decrease the illiteracy rates in Metro Detroit. She works towards this goal by offering workshops, trainings, and one-on-one consultation to provide individuals with gainful knowledge in various subject matters, including but not limited to financial literacy, life skills, and college and career readiness. 

Her most prized initiative is “Literacy unBoxed” which has garnered attention and backing from some well-known and established organizations. Literacy unBoxed is a subscription program that provides youth K-12 with personalized boxes that include educational resources to match that individual’s needs! 

What does success mean to you?
Success to me is living in your purpose and accomplishing goals that you have designed for yourself. Success does not have a time limit; all that matters is you completed what you set forth to do! 

Success for iCARE Detroit means positively impacting the lives of those in the community. 

Contact Info:

• Email: dejanae@icaredetroit.com
• Website: www.icaredetroit.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/i.caredetroit/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iCAREDetroit

Image Credits
Shooting Starr Studios