The Urban Media Summer Arts Program electrifies Youth with Creative Education

July 25, 2011 - PRLog -- (New York -July 18th 2011)…..There should be no more dreams deferred in New York this summer. Malcolm X's Vision for education is coming to life through the Urban Media Summer Program.  Four organizations are re-creating a blueprint for youth education with an innovative new program and curriculum targeting young students. The Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz  Memorial & Educational Center’s  program, Finding Your Way  {created by Super Producer,  Jack Knight}  has collaborated with United Nile and the Get Focused Foundation  to help re-ignite the dreams of youth with an appealing yet educational media arts program.  

The organizations have created and intricately developed a Media-Summer Arts Program that empowers youth from the ages of 13-18 at the Shabazz Center. This program is entitled, 'Urban Media Summer: Arts of Our Community'.  The program began on July 11th, 2011 and continues throughout the summer.  The Urban Media Summer Arts program helps young students in Harlem and Washington Heights re-discover the infinite possibilities that exist when you hold on to your dreams and harness your craft.  This innovative curriculum builds life skills, cultivates identities, and develops critical thinking through creativity, imagination and social observation.  Classes will be offered in music, documentary, filmmaking, script writing and songwriting.  This unique creative curriculum implements cultural education in order to equip students with the vision to see their reality from a global perspective rather than the strict confinements of their immediate “5 Block Rule” environment.  

Unlike most programs, The Urban Media Summer Program is free.  The unconventional learning program also happens to have one of the most inventive and internationally recognized producer and songwriter as a teacher. Not many students can walk away from class and say that their teacher has produced for artists such as Diddy, J-Lo, Christina Aguilera, Biggie and Keyshia Cole.  Jack Knight who is the Founder of Finding Your Way is also the lead instructor of the songwriting portion of the program.  Finding Your Way will be working cohesively with United Nile’s unique documentary and scriptwriting program.  The power of this focused and concentrated program has potential to set precedent for urban communities throughout America.  
The goal of the Urban Media Summer Arts program is to eradicate the existence of an overwhelming population of under educated young adults.  This results in a debilitated earning potential of adults spawning an economic crisis. It is a fact that a lack of education is directly correlated to both poverty and crime.  Our communities have a chance to benefit from children become assets to society and not expenses by addressing socio-economic issues through the implementation of such a resourceful program.  

In a time where creativity is now limited and arts –centered programs are being eliminated from budget cuts, The Media Summer Arts Program dares to challenge the imagination and dreams of our youth. Students will also be a part of history as this is the first time that an arts program has been implemented through the The Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz  Memorial & Educational Center’s  Shabazz Center.  The Shabazz center is a very special place where El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (Malcolm X ) spoke on a number of occasions and where he was ultimately slained. The Shabazz Center was founded by Dr. Betty Shabazz as an institution that would permit the courageous work of her late-husband.  Malcolm X stated that, “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.”

“Our program is essential to the communities of Harlem and Washington Heights.  By pulling our collective expertise, resources and passions, we all believe that we can facilitate the long term transformations in these young men and women,” states Mark Harding- Interim Executive Director of the Shabazz Center. As a bulk of funding continues to be reserved for the punishment of crimes, the Urban Media Summer Arts Program has chosen education over incarceration.
For press information about the Urban Media Summer Arts Program please contact Abesi Public Relations at abesipr@gmail.com