You’ve heard of Harvard, Princeton, USC, UCLA and so on…but what about the College for Creative Studies (CCS) and the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA? These are important institutions for the automotive industry. CCS has a competitive automotive design program, making it a place where Ford has over the years found future designers of its best-selling cars and trucks. Ford has worked closely with CCS students to help them gain the upper hand in corporate culture and in how designs translate to real-world vehicles.

And now, the Children’s Center has partnered with CCS for the new AutoGlow Design Challenge, giving students a unique task: design a theme for the Children’s Center AutoGlow charity event, presented by Ford Motor Company, and scheduled for January 13, 2012.

The AutoGlow Design Challenge was viewed as an opportunity to put the spotlight on the talent of Detroit’s youth, and so the students were asked to create a theme that could be reflected in the AutoGlow room’s décor and beyond. The AutoGlow Design Challenge winning entry was created by the team of 24-year-old Shayne Shepherd, 21-year-old Kristina Prybula and 21-year-old Daeun Kim. Their theme included aspects of circus and carnival, making for AutoGlow: Under the Big Top. The event includes three-ring entertainment from Detroit Flyhouse and the Rick Lieder Band, along with culinary delights, an AutoGlow signature cocktail and a barrel of big-top fun.

The event, to be held at the Westin Book Cadillac, will include dinner, dancing and entertainment, and its hosts are Bill and Lisa Ford and Alan and Nicki Mulally. Tickets are $275 per person before December 16, $300 after December 16; $135 of the ticket price is tax deductible. Sponsorship packages begin at $5,000. For more information call 313.262.1085 or visit www.thechildrenscenter.com.