Hip-hop program helps students develop literacy skills
TORONTO (CUP) -- The multibillion-dollar hip-hop industry is often pin-pointed as the root cause for many societal problems, but a new program aimed at improving literacy skills of inner city youths is helping to restore this tarnished image.
“The program is giving a lot of kids who can't relate to the curriculum that is currently being used another method to improve their reading and writing skills by using something different,” said Jason Shrouder-Henry, co-founder of Literacy Through Hip Hop (LTHH).
Shrouder-Henry, 22, created LTHH alongside fellow student Shahmeer Ansari in 2003. Sponsored by TD Canada Trust, the program began in the summer of 2005. Now in its second year, LTHH ran in five Toronto communities this summer.
The pair wanted to create a course based on the interests of inner city youths who were not responding to the current school curriculum.
During the four-week program, students would listen and analyze the works of hip-hop artists like Kanye West, Mos Def, and Common, and create a compilation CD with their original work. Students aged 10 to 12 are asked to write the lyrics as they listen and then discuss any misunderstood words or meanings.
Shrouder-Henry said it's within this age group that youth development is critical, and if the program is to be effective, students must be reached before they hit their teens.
“Especially with the gun violence situation in Toronto, a lot of the kids, by the time they're 13, especially in the lower income area, have already made their choice. Even by the age of 12, they can be so engaged in negative things in their community that it's too late for you,” Shrouder-Henry said.
Throughout the course, students are continuously evaluated on their progress to determine any weaknesses or subsequent progress. The overall objective of the program is not only to improve skills firsthand, but rather, to develop frequent reading habits.
Shrouder-Henry says the problem with the lack of literacy success in children lies in the fact that the current school system is far too inclusive.
“Long-term you hope the curriculum . . . speaks more to a diverse array of cultures instead of one generic idea of what should be done. But in the meantime, you need a program for these kids to latch on to. It's not okay for them to keep going through the system and failing,” Shrouder-Henry said.
With overwhelming success in Toronto, LTHH is currently expanding its base across Canada, to Vancouver, Montreal and Hamilton. The program also ran in Colorado this year. Talks about future sites in Brazil and South Africa are already underway. Shrouder-Henry says a program like this can have great potential in expansion because it's inexpensive to run.
“A lot of places, all they need from us are the curriculum and the textbook. A lot of these places will have their own funding and that's what enables us to go to these different sites,” Shrouder-Henry said.
LTHH will continue in Toronto in the fall -- the 20-day program will be spread across three months to work around students' school schedules.
With high ambitions to expand worldwide, Shrouder-Henry is looking to build an extension of the current program for students who wish to continue on with the course.
“The program is giving a lot of kids who can't relate to the curriculum that is currently being used another method to improve their reading and writing skills by using something different,” said Jason Shrouder-Henry, co-founder of Literacy Through Hip Hop (LTHH).
Shrouder-Henry, 22, created LTHH alongside fellow student Shahmeer Ansari in 2003. Sponsored by TD Canada Trust, the program began in the summer of 2005. Now in its second year, LTHH ran in five Toronto communities this summer.
The pair wanted to create a course based on the interests of inner city youths who were not responding to the current school curriculum.
During the four-week program, students would listen and analyze the works of hip-hop artists like Kanye West, Mos Def, and Common, and create a compilation CD with their original work. Students aged 10 to 12 are asked to write the lyrics as they listen and then discuss any misunderstood words or meanings.
Shrouder-Henry said it's within this age group that youth development is critical, and if the program is to be effective, students must be reached before they hit their teens.
“Especially with the gun violence situation in Toronto, a lot of the kids, by the time they're 13, especially in the lower income area, have already made their choice. Even by the age of 12, they can be so engaged in negative things in their community that it's too late for you,” Shrouder-Henry said.
Throughout the course, students are continuously evaluated on their progress to determine any weaknesses or subsequent progress. The overall objective of the program is not only to improve skills firsthand, but rather, to develop frequent reading habits.
Shrouder-Henry says the problem with the lack of literacy success in children lies in the fact that the current school system is far too inclusive.
“Long-term you hope the curriculum . . . speaks more to a diverse array of cultures instead of one generic idea of what should be done. But in the meantime, you need a program for these kids to latch on to. It's not okay for them to keep going through the system and failing,” Shrouder-Henry said.
With overwhelming success in Toronto, LTHH is currently expanding its base across Canada, to Vancouver, Montreal and Hamilton. The program also ran in Colorado this year. Talks about future sites in Brazil and South Africa are already underway. Shrouder-Henry says a program like this can have great potential in expansion because it's inexpensive to run.
“A lot of places, all they need from us are the curriculum and the textbook. A lot of these places will have their own funding and that's what enables us to go to these different sites,” Shrouder-Henry said.
LTHH will continue in Toronto in the fall -- the 20-day program will be spread across three months to work around students' school schedules.
With high ambitions to expand worldwide, Shrouder-Henry is looking to build an extension of the current program for students who wish to continue on with the course.
