MSU Extension offices and staff are in all 83 counties. Extension faculty on the MSU campus conduct research and translate research results into educational programs. Since its beginning, Michigan Extension has focused on bringing knowledge-based educational programs to the people of the state to improve their lives and communities. County-based staff members, in concert with on-campus faculty members, serve every county with programming focused on agriculture and natural resources; children, youth and families; and community and economic.

AKTL (Advancing Knowledge Transforming Lives) Networks have been created in major geographic areas across Michigan – Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Lansing, and the Upper Peninsula. These networks bring together faculty and staff who collaborate with community agencies, organizations, schools, public institutions, and businesses. Their purpose is to enhance communication among MSU scholars who do work in the same geographic area and to encourage multidisciplinary work.

Detroit: Both U-M and MSU have established Detroit-based research and outreach efforts for the hundreds of outreach and research projects they have underway in Michigan’s largest cities. Their locations, close to the Wayne State campus, further aid the ability to collaborate.

The U-M School of Public Health runs 15-20 projects through the Detroit Community-Academic Urban Research Center. The school also runs several AmeriCorps projects including one on lead poisoning with the Greater Detroit Area Health Council, one with ACCESS (serving the Arab American population in Detroit and Dearborn), and one with the Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation.

Taubman College of Architecture + Urban Planning
Each year, a team of architecture students and expert guest designers volunteer to put together the Detroit Design Charrette. The assembled teams work to come up with innovative designs and ideas for various areas of Detroit. The program also includes U-M students from disciplines as varied as the Stephen M. Ross School of Business, the U-M Law School and the School of Natural Resources and Environment.