We warmly invite you to join us for a community lunch and roundtable discussions.

Amanda Maria Edmonds, Mayor, City of Ypsilanti

With a background in environmental justice, environmental education, and social activism, Amanda Edmonds wears many hats as mayor, community organizer, educator, mentor, and leader. She is the founder and executive director of Growing Hope. Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, she has lived in Michigan since the mid 1990s, and is an active member of the Ypsilanti community. An alum of the Ginsberg Center and the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources & Environment, she brings a grounding in social and environmental issues to her professional world with intersects most commonly with public health, food justice, and community-based social change. She currently serves as Chair of the Ypsilanti Downtown Development Authority, is an appointee to the Michigan Food Policy Council, where she chairs the Healthy Food Access Task Force, and is a vice-chair of the Washtenaw Food Policy Council. She also served for six years on the Ypsilanti Parks and Recreation Commission, six years on the board of directors of the American Community Gardening Association, was a founding leadership team member of Slow Food Huron Valley, and was formerly chair of the MSU-Extension Advisory Council in Washtenaw County. She speaks and trains nationally in the areas of community change through gardens, farmers markets, food access, and many other topics.

The Dewey Lecture:

The Ginsberg Center’s Dewey Series recognizes the enduring legacy of philosopher and educational reformer John Dewey, who taught at U of M in the 1890’s, and later, went on to found the New School for Social Research. Chief among Dewey’s enduring ideas were that thought is the means through which we come to understand and connect with the world around us, and, that universal education is the key to teaching people how to abandon their habits and think creatively via learning through doing.

The Ginsberg Center:

The Ginsberg Center's mission is to engage students, faculty, and community members in learning together through service and civic participation. Through a range of programs and supports that prepare students for socially just service and action, we seek to enrich student learning, positively impact communities, and inspire a lifelong commitment to active citizenship in a diverse and complex world.