Rack It Up Detroit asks council for funding, volunteers to expand youth squash and academic program

Rack It Up Detroit, a nonprofit that runs a long-term squash-based mentoring and academic support program, asked the Detroit City Council on Feb. 11 for funding, volunteers and partners to expand beyond its Northwest Detroit headquarters and serve more students.

The organization’s founder and CEO, Derek Aguirre, told the council the program uses squash as a “hook” but is focused on tutoring, mentoring, college and career exposure and community service. “Our mission is to support and empower Detroit youth so they can achieve their full potential through a long term demanding and inspiring mentoring program of squash academics and community service,” Aguirre said.

The request matters because Rack It Up Detroit serves students from fifth grade through high school, operates year-round and says it combines athletics with academic supports that staff and council members tied to measurable outcomes. Aguirre said the program has grown from about 40 students to more than 200 served annually and that students who stay in the program are more likely to enter and complete college; he did not provide exact percentages for graduation or college-entry rates during the presentation.

Aguirre said the nonprofit owns a 19,000-square-foot facility in Northwest Detroit, employs 14 full-time staff, owns three vehicles and must raise all operating funds each year. “We have to raise every dollar we spend every year. And it's an uphill battle,” he said. He listed immediate needs as operating dollars, volunteers for tutoring and court coaching, and new partners and funders to scale the program.

Program graduate Yasmine Little, who described herself as a Rack It Up participant for about a decade and now part of the organization’s graduate-success program, told the council the program opened opportunities she would not otherwise have had. “It showed me that there’s more to life than what I was just used to or what I was seeing,” Little said, describing travel, leadership tours and a college scholarship that led her to play collegiate squash and later return to Detroit to work in the city government.

Council members praised the organization and raised next-step questions. Council Member Angela Whitfield Callaway said she planned to push for City budget support and asked leaders to consider an East Side location so students there would not depend on transportation: “I’d like to see an East Side location,” she said. She also told Rack It Up Detroit she would “ask that this council remember your organization” during the budget process.

Council Member Letitia Johnson offered to help explore school partnerships and suggested a co-location on the East Side to make programming accessible without long bus rides: “I would definitely encourage you to connect with the schools,” she said. Council Member Gabriela Santiago Romero urged colleagues to talk with students about careers and internships and noted that city offices hire from program participants. Council Member Mary Waters also voiced support during the discussion.

Aguirre described the program model in more detail: students begin in fifth grade and can continue through high school and into a graduate-success program that supports college persistence. He said the program requires a three-days-per-week commitment from participants and provides year-round tutoring, community outings, and college and career guidance. The organization also runs community squash nights on Thursdays from 6:45 to 8 p.m., community resource fairs and back-to-school events to broaden access.

Council members did not vote on any direct funding or take a formal action during the presentation. Several members told Rack It Up Detroit they would raise the program with budget staff and explore ways to connect it to existing city after-school or community-education efforts. Aguirre asked for introductions to potential funders and volunteers; Callaway and Johnson specifically raised locating or co-locating program space on the East Side.

The council did not adopt an appropriation or a contract at the Feb. 11 session. Rack It Up Detroit representatives left contact information and asked the city and council members to follow up on partnerships and possible support in the upcoming budget cycle. The organization’s website is rackitup.org for people who want more information or want to volunteer.

Ending

Council members framed the presentation as a local example of long-term youth investment rather than an immediate budget decision. Staff said they will take follow-up steps to connect Rack It Up Detroit with relevant departments and with council budget leads; council members indicated they would raise the group during budget talks but made no formal commitment on funding during the Feb. 11 meeting.