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 DETROIT – February 3, 2026 – Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Detroit (BGCGD) today officially opened the Michigan Central Boys & Girls Club, a first-of-its-kind, 15,000-square-foot Club located inside The Station at Michigan Central. The opening marks a milestone for Detroit youth and for BGCGD as it enters its 100th year of service, expanding access to real-world learning, network and opportunity, now inside of a live innovation ecosystem. 

This is not a traditional Club. The Michigan Central Boys & Girls Club is a new youth development model intentionally designed around access: access to real work, real networks, real capital, and real opportunity for social and economic mobility. By embedding high school and college aged youth directly within Michigan Central’s innovation district, participants learn and build alongside the people and companies shaping Detroit’s future.

“This Club represents an evolution in how opportunity is delivered,” said Shawn H. Wilson, President & CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Detroit and Co-Founder, Usher’s New Look. “BGCGD’s reimagined youth development model moves beyond preparation and into participation and ownership. When young people have proximity to innovation, relationships, and decision-makers, economic mobility stops being abstract and starts becoming achievable.”

The Michigan Central Boys & Girls Club offers a suite of immersive, industry-aligned spaces designed to prepare youth ages 14–24 for high-growth careers across the creative economy, technology, and mobility sectors. Core offerings include innovation labs, creative technology studios, special FX labs, autonomous and drone training spaces, a literary and storytelling lounge, and a youth-run retail marketplace that provides real-world experience in brand-building and entrepreneurship. Through hands-on learning, industry credentials, executive mentorship, and paid career pathways, young people move from early exposure to deeper immersion and launch-ready opportunities.

“Michigan Central is building an ecosystem that drives real-world progress and economic opportunity, and developing talent is the key in creatinga sustainable, inclusive future,” said Carolina Pluszczynski, Acting CEO, Michigan Central. “The work with Boys & Girls Club not only builds on years of work we’ve done to grow a future-ready talent pipeline, but also helps bring our vision forward by embedding youth directly into the same environment where founders, technologists, and creators are building what’s next, demonstrating how innovation districts can support earlier, more connected talent development and job placement.” 

The Michigan Central Boys & Girls Club anchors Michigan Central’s dedicated floor for youth, which is designed as a purpose-built asset for the next generation within The Station. With BGCGD’s presence and investment at Michigan Central, they will continue to advance their work and also support Michigan Central’s long-term approach to talent development that spans youth through adulthood. 

 

Built for Durability, Credibility, and Long-Term Impact

The Michigan Central Boys & Girls Club is further strengthened by the long-term engagement of leaders committed to building durable pathways for young people. The involvement of Usher and Big Sean is not rooted in celebrity, but in credibility, continuity, and shared vision.

Through Usher’s New Look and the Sean Anderson Foundation, their foundations and programmatic work will be anchored at the Michigan Central Boys & Girls Club — aligning mentorship, youth development, and opportunity under one roof. Their presence reinforces the Club’s commitment to sharing power, relevance, and measurable outcomes.

The strength and clarity of the Michigan Central Boys & Girls Club model has attracted alignment from additional partners across industry, finance, sports, and technology. Organizations including Ilitch Sports + Entertainment, Apple, Bank of America, StockX and nationally acclaimed author and speaker Shaka Senghor are supporting the work because it is outcomes-driven, embedded in the real economy, and built to scale—connecting youth to platforms, skills, and pathways that matter.

Programming at the Michigan Central Boys & Girls Club begins Feb. 9, with opportunities for mentors, partners, and collaborators to engage through the Club and to support the next generation of Detroit talent.

The Michigan Central Boys & Girls Club is the 6th Club location to open under BGCGD. 

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About Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Detroit

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Detroit (BGCGD) serves more than 17,000 youth annually and is a national leader in advancing economic mobility for young people. BGCGD has reimagined the traditional Club model to address persistent opportunity gaps by integrating workforce readiness, entrepreneurship, mental wellness, and leadership development into a cohesive, outcomes-driven approach. Through innovative programming and cross-sector partnerships, BGCGD equips youth with the various forms of capital required to achieve long-term success. Learn more at www.bgcgreaterdetroit.org

 

About Michigan Central

Michigan Central is a 30-acre technology and cultural hub in Detroit, where leaders, thinkers, communities and creators come together to accelerate bold ideas and technologies that shape our collective future. By providing access to world-class infrastructure, tools, and resources, Michigan Central inspires innovators and community members to collaborate on real, ground-breaking solutions to global problems. Since opening in April 2023, Michigan Central has grown into a diverse ecosystem of nearly 250 companies and startups working at the intersection of mobility, technology and society. Learn more at michigancentral.com.