The national spotlight is shining on Detroit, as Superbowl XL roars into town. But after the glitz and glitter are gone, nearly half of the children in this beleaguered city will still be living in poverty, and Detroit will still be hard-pressed to provide basic services they need. Connect for Kids' Cecilia Garcia looks at how one nonprofit organization, Communities in Schools of Detroit, is trying to pick up the slack.

Roller rinks, aquariums, and art centers, oh my! More and more kids are lending their creative ideas to help build strong communities nationwide. And, in some cases, they're helping bring in the bucks to accomplish positive changes for youth. Rob Capriccioso reports.

Even though it's almost 30 years old, the WDHS Student Video Program at Dearborn High School is still cutting-edge, giving kids the tools to harness new media in the service of creativity, learning, and really cool stuff. Rob Capriccioso reports.

At the Ypsilanti Farmer’s Market in Michigan, kids are hawking their own organic produce right next to long-established local farmers—earning money, learning skills, and making friends.

Would you entrust a group of kids with a pot of money to give away? Michigan’s Youth Advisory Committee is doing just that. Leanna Skarnulis reports on youth organizations that are nurturing future leaders and proving kids can tackle tough community problems.

Taking advantage of the wisdom that comes with age, the Travelling Grannies and Grandpas program in Grand Rapids, Michigan pairs low-income elderly volunteers with teens and school children in need of extra support. Kathleen Piggins reports on the program.

Young people in the rural Upper Peninsula area of Michigan are taking on the roles of both learners and leaders through their work with 8-18 Media, a youth journalism project based in Marquette. Learn about their efforts, and read an example of 8-18 Media's work.

Wendy Shepherd of Catalyst for Action wrote about her efforts in support of a ballot initiative opposing a new, less restrictive, concealed weapons law in Michigan. When she wrote this, the drive to put the measure on the ballot was in the home stretch.

It's the ultimate grass-roots political activity: buttonholing busy registered voters and asking them to sign a petition. In Michigan, gun safety advocates worked to gather 225,000 signatures on a ballot initiative to overturn a new state law making it easier to get a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Wendy Shepherd of Catalyst for Action filed this report from the front lines at the height of the action.