Mellon Cracks in the Pavement Initiative

Affiliated with the Institute for Society and Technology and led by IST directors Jacob Lederman and Kimberly Saks, the Mellon Grant Cracks in the Pavement Initiative investigates the everyday forms of democratic civic and political life that characterize the Flint community and region. The initiative draws on the expertise of IST-affiliated faculty to explore the social consequences of technological change and grassroots democratic practices.

The IST leadership received a grant from the Mellon Foundation for its three-year research and community engagement project, Cracks in the Pavement.

About the Grant

The Cracks in the Pavement initiative is supported by a $495,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation, awarded to UM-Flint’s College of Arts, Sciences & Education. This interdisciplinary project seeks to examine how Flint residents are actively reimagining democratic participation beyond traditional forms of governance and electoral politics.