BRL Youth Teach Youngsters About Hip Hop

The presentation was a part of a Service Learning Project (SLP) where students in BRL are required to develop and implement a project that in some way serves their community. The SLP is a new feature to our therapeutic Hip Hip activity group at Oakland High and was developed by Rob Jackson, one of the program's coordinators.

Rob has been co-facilitating the program since 2004 and felt it was time to challenge our youth to venue out into their community and embrace the teaching of "Each One, Teach One." The timing was perfect because a few months later a unique opportunity presented itself when Mary Loeser, a 5th grade teacher at Cleveland Elementary reached out to BRL on behalf of her students, who happen to be learning about the arts within Hip Hop culture.

After a brief discussion, students in our program decided a trip to Cleveland Elementary School to teach youngsters about the positive side of of Hip Hop would make the perfect learning service project. A total of 12 youth signed up for the challenge, including 4 BRL Alum. It was a monumental event. I was so proud as I watch our youth interact with the youngsters with so much pride and enthusiasm. They performed a song they wrote specifically for the presentation on the History of Hip Hop. B-Boys from Oakland High's 5th Element Hip Hop Club awed their young audience with acrobatics and rhythmic moves.

But what brought the event full circle was went the 5th grade class wanted to share their graffiti art projects with the Oakland High crew. During this time our Oakland High School students gracefully took a seat and listen to the 5th graders talk about their projects. The kids where so excited to have the complete attention of high school students and share their Hip Hop pieces. After the last 5th grader presented her piece, I highlighted to the whole group that what we just had was a Cipher and that's was Hip Hop is truly about.

The Cleveland Elementary trip proved that when given an opportunity teens have the desire and capacity to serve as positive role models for younger generations. The high school students held their heads up high that day, proud of the fact they made a difference in the lives of a group of brighteyed youngsters.

Each One, Teach One.

-Tomas Alvarez, MSW