BRL Youth Development program expanding to the South Bronx!

Last week Beats Rhymes and Life contracted to run a rap therapy youth development program in the heart of the South Bronx. This expansion site was strategically identified and chosen based on the historical and cultural emphasis of hip hop in this part of the country.

This program, which will mirror the Oakland High School curriculum, will be supported through a community development center located in the lowest ranked social economic district in the United States, Hunts Point. The name of this site is The Point CDC, which is an award winning cultural, arts, education and community development center. The center was the best choice for launching this programming due to its location and resources/programming which include a theatre, recording studio, literacy programming, mental health facilities, political action programs and mural arts.

The program will be run by literacy and education specialist, Earl Skinner and LMSW Mrytho Gardiner who will act as the program coordinators. James McCracken, LMSW, will be providing clinical consulting and current BRL Program Director, Rob Jackson, will be providing program consulting on this pilot project which aims to start in Mid May 2010.

Coming soon will be blogs by the new South Bronx BRL staff introducing themselves, the program, the location and the South Bronx as a whole. We look forward to hearing feedback from the public about this endeavor and invite any and all questions and ideas about this initiative. Look forward to hearing from you soon!