DBG is excited to welcome a new face to our leadership team, and he’s a familiar face to many. Emmanuel Smith is DBG’s new Programs Director, bringing more than 25 years of experience as an educator to our nationally recognized free, out-of-school-time program. Many know him as “Mr. E” for his mixtapes about math and sight words or his Emmy Award-winning “Mr. E in the D” show. Emmanuel says joining DBG feels like a full-circle moment. He has proudly added “Coach E” to his many titles.
“I grew up with hands-on learning and experiences that were out of the box. I have always worked to replicate that with students,” he says. “DBG ignites the voice of children and gives them an understanding that their voice matters at any age.”
Emmanuel discovered DBG as an educator and began referring families who came back to him with incredible feedback about everything the program has to offer from academics to athletics, enrichment programming, mentorship, college and career readiness, basic needs support and more. The feedback was so good, he put his own children on the waiting list.
“DBG is a well-rounded program and has something for everyone,” Emmanuel says. “If a child expresses an interest in something that DBG doesn’t have, they will go out of their way to meet that child’s need and interest.”
As a father who now has all four of his children enrolled at DBG, Coach E sees the program from yet another perspective. He says DBG gives each one of his children – with their own unique talents, interests and personalities – the space to explore their own passions. He has also seen how the experiences carry over at home.
In his new role, Emmanuel looks forward to working closely with DBG students and families and exposing new families to the different experiences DBG offers.
“I’m trying to be a light. I hope to be in some shape or form a piece of positivity for a child or parent so they can push forward in a positive way,” Emmanuel says.
He has hit the ground running with ideas about new partnerships and increasing community engagement.
“Emmanuel’s passion for spreading our mission is unwavering and evident in everything he does,” Katie Solomon, COO and former Programs Director explained. “He is already thinking of ways to lead the programs team through an exciting season of growth and change.”
While he settles into his new role at DBG, Emmanuel isn’t signing off as Mr. E. He says the show is moving into a new phase following its City of Detroit partnership and plans are being made for future episodes. He’s even planning to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his first Mr. E mixtape with the help of DBG students. Stay tuned for more to come.