Definitive Education (DEF ED) Programs List
< Back to DEF ED page > < DEF ED Programs >
< Class Schedule >
Acceptance (Tolerance) Non-violence - History of Hip Hop: These modules help youth see that respect, acceptance and non-violence is a way of life supported by the Hip Hop culture. Through classroom presentation and facilitation students participate in a discussion that teaches them the values of respect, acceptance and non-violence supported by the Hip Hop genre.
Dance/Physical Fitness - Breaking: The Breaking modules promotes dance as an artistic venue, strong healthy bodies and fitness. A foundation of good nutrition, physical fitness and a drug/alcohol free lifestyle is needed for strength to perform the top-rocks, footwork and power moves used in breaking. We begin the module with an overview of breaking (balance, low center of gravity, foot dexterity), during the workshops students warm-up with stretching exercises and learn: toprocks, footwork, freezes, and power moves.
Education - Emceeing: Successful Hip Hop artists are fluent in all aspects of spoken and written language. DEF ED instructors teach participants that reading, writing and poetic language skills are another part of the foundation for the Hip Hop performance. Through classroom participation students in the emceeing sessions do writing, call/response, rhyming and free styling/pattern exercises.
Education - Djing: Hip Hop artists use a variety of musical, technical, performance and editing skills during sessions. We review and provide hands-on technical experience with turntables and mics. Students learn how to effectively set up and perform in front of groups using lighting, turntables, and skills with a microphone. For editing/djing, we bring in turntables for hands-on instruction in the musical aspects of djing, mixing, cutting, and scratching.
Creative Artistic Expression (Visual) - Street Art Appreciation : DEF ED facilitators briefly review the history and role of graffiti and street art for social expression. The DEF ED facilitator and students review the legal vs. illegal aspects of graffiti/tagging. Then, the youth have the hands-on experience of drawing exercises to learn the visual and technical skills of street art to promote self expression. At the close of the sessions, facilitators and students discuss artists, and their creative use of self expression to promote personal and social change. Some schools and community resource centers will allow students to use spray paint and canvas to create a mural which teaches them respect, teamwork and the technical and visual skills of designing and creating a large art installation.
Communication - Storytelling Theatre : Through storytelling enhanced by Hip Hop elements participants will realistically portray their experiences to create cross cultural relationships in communities dedicated to preserving their history based on what they see. This theatre program can be incororated to find solutions to the problems, or to educate youth on how to bring about change in their community.
Communication through art- Rap Cartoons : Art can open youth's minds and hearts to other opinions and attitudes about things that they may not know of or appreciate. Through creating cartoons that reflect hip hop culture, youth are given the opportunity to tell their story or other's stories through visual art. In this program, youth will learn how to create and draw comic strips that reflect hip hop culture and what's currently going on in their communities.