C2 Pipeline is just a part of Wayne State’s community-engagement approach to education

Clintondale principal, Dr. Daniel Berry, helps a student with a school assignment during Wayne State's C2 Pipeline after-school program at the Macomb County high school.

CLINTON TOWNSHIP - Wayne State University's impact across metro Detroit reaches far beyond its Midtown campus.

While the university is widely known for educating college students, much of its most meaningful work begins long before students arrive on campus. Through sustained partnerships with local high schools and community-based programs, Wayne State invests in young people early, helping them build academic skills, confidence and a plan for the future.

Clinton Loh (far right) and activity facilitators Elizabeth Driscoll and Erika Rudolph run the C2 Pipeline program Monday through Thursday, providing Clintondale students with academic and enrichment support and a daily dinner.

One of the strongest examples of that commitment is the C2 Pipeline program, sponsored by Wayne State's College of Nursing. Operating in 14 metro Detroit high schools, C2 Pipeline focuses exclusively on high school students, offering after-school academic support, enrichment activities, and college and career exposure. The program is built around partnerships.

"We first identify how we can help," said Clinton Loh, a multi-site coordinator for C2 Pipeline. "We're not coming in to take over. We're here as partners. We're here to fill in the gaps and support the school in ways that make sense for their students."

Loh oversees programming at Clintondale High School in Clinton Township and Communication & Media Arts High School in Detroit. At Clintondale, where C2 Pipeline has been active since 2012, the program reaches about 130 students.

"Our program is roughly a third of the school," Loh said. "That's because we're not just doing one thing. We have tutoring, enrichment and esports, and students involved in any of those become part of C2 Pipeline."

Loh does not work alone. He is supported by three Clintondale faculty members who serve as C2 Pipeline activity facilitators. Special services teacher Erika Rudolph serves as the site lead and math teacher Elizabeth Driscoll and instructional assistant Matt Sutton help guide activities and tutoring sessions. During the school day, they are district employees. After 2:30 p.m., they transition into Wayne State C2 Pipeline staff, creating continuity for students who already know and trust them.

That consistency has strengthened the program's impact. Students see familiar faces in a different setting, reinforcing the idea that academic success and personal growth extend beyond the final bell. The program runs Monday through Thursday, providing students with academic and enrichment support and a daily dinner.

A Clintondale student shows off artwork she completed during the school's after-school program, C2 Pipeline, sponsored by Wayne State's College of Nursing.

The tutoring component plays a key role, particularly for student-athletes. C2 Pipeline works closely with Clintondale's athletic department to ensure students stay academically eligible while reinforcing that classroom performance comes first.

"Athletics is like a carrot," Clintondale athletic director Bob Walmsley said. "All the kids want that carrot. And if you use it effectively, you can get them to improve their grades. There's a reason the word 'student' comes before 'athlete.'"

Over time, that structure has produced measurable academic gains. But the program's influence stretches beyond grades.

"There's so much more to a high school education than academics," Loh said. "We provide academic tools, emotional tools and social tools. We try to give students a complete package."

That broader impact is something Dr. Daniel Berry, principal of Clintondale High School, sees firsthand. Berry participates in the C2 program each Wednesday, sitting with students and observing the work taking place.

"I think C2 is a fantastic program for our students," he said. "We have a lot of athletics, but there are students that just have other interests. C2 is a great way to connect students with other opportunities that are out there."

Berry said the exposure students gain through C2 is invaluable. Summer field trips and campus visits give students access to subjects and environments they might not otherwise encounter.

"One of the best things I saw C2 do was over the summer with the series of field trips," Berry said. "Students came back with great experiences. They got into classes like forensics and things they otherwise wouldn't have had a chance to learn about."

For Berry, the program strengthens Clintondale's college and career readiness efforts, including career and technical education and dual enrollment pathways.

"It's really that college and career readiness aspect of it," Berry said. "C2 is a great way to build on the post-secondary opportunities we're already working on."

With site coordinator Clinton Loh in the background, a Clintondale senior (right) mentors a younger student during Wayne State's C2 Pipeline after-school program. Older students often step in to support multiple freshmen and sophomores.

Within the after-school program, another layer of community has developed: peer mentorship. Older students who have participated in C2 for several years often help guide incoming ninth graders. They sit with them during activities, assist with projects and model what it looks like to stay engaged academically and socially.

"That's when you really know something is working," Loh said. "When the students start taking ownership and helping each other."

C2 Pipeline also connects students directly to Wayne State through campus visits and hands-on experiences across multiple colleges, from nursing and pharmacy to engineering and business.

"There's no right or wrong answer," Loh said. "If you have a plan after high school, you're better off than not having a plan. Any plan is a good plan."

Through C2 Pipeline and its broader community engagement efforts, Wayne State continues to demonstrate that education does not begin or end on campus. By building strong partnerships with schools like Clintondale and investing in students early, WSU shapes futures across metro Detroit one relationship at a time.

C2 Pipeline is a 21st Century Community Learning Center funded program, awarded by the Michigan Department of Education in collaboration with the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential.