Hip-Hop Education Partnership Catalyzes Equity in Schools

BURBANK, Calif. - Feb. 29, 2024 - PRLog -- The Hip-Hop Education Center and Hip-Hop For Change organizations have teamed up to expand the California Department of Education "Hip-Hop Education and Equity Initiative (H2E2)."

"This collaboration between our organizations is a game changer," says Marlon Richardson, Education Director and acting Executive Director of Hip-Hop For Change. "This is much-needed research that will help quantify the efficacy and value of leveraging Hip-Hop culture in the world of education, which in turn can then impact policy and ultimately, our communities."

Core elements of the initiative involve the recruitment of aspiring Hip-Hop educators, the establishment of standard-based curriculum models, the launch of student leadership chapters, Hip-Hop enrichment programming, and an ongoing system of support and training for CTE credential candidates and teachers.

Essential to the long-term success and expansion of the H2E2 Initiative is the development of best practices and standards. HHEC, in collaboration with Music Will and The Hip-Hop Roundtable, is currently working on national Hip-Hop Music Education Guidelines. The H2E2 Grantees will be one of the first to use them and provide feedback.

The H2E2 Initiative launched the initial pilot in the Fall of 2020 with specialized grant programs at Compton Unified School District and ICEF View Park Preparatory Charter High School in South Central Los Angeles.

QUICK FACTS:

• The California Department of Education's Career and College Transition Division awarded two non-competitive grants to the local educational agencies (LEAs) to design and implement a Hip-Hop arts, media, and entertainment (AME) pathway program in Professional Music, Professional Dance, Multimedia/Audio Production, Visual/Commercial Arts, and/or Film/Television Production, establish formal partnerships with a community or industry Partners.
• They also offer Hip-Hop pedagogical support and resources to industry professionals in the form of credentialing and job obtainment information, classroom observation opportunities, guest teaching placements, professional development resources, and/or professional coaching.
• At the core of the CTE AME teacher training is a foundational course called Global Awareness Through Hip Hop Culture, authored by View Park Preparatory CTE AME teacher Sebastien Elkouby.
• The H2E2 initiative was launched with a grant from the CDE, and guided by Rahman Jamaal McCreadie, Executive Director of Hip Hop Congress Inc.; Sebastien Elkouby, CTE AME Educator; and Martha Diaz, Executive Director and Chief Curator of Hip-Hop Education Center.

The mission of the Hip-Hop Education Center is to empower individuals and communities by catalyzing social change and equity through research, curated curricula, collaborative programming, career and leadership training, and the development of a living archive.

https://hiphopeducation.org