Las Vegas (KLAS) – We approach junior high school students according to their wishes and help them succeed.
The students at Grant Sawyer Middle School are very good at showing off their hip-hop skills, but this story is more about the message on the back of their t-shirts, “Where you come from is where you’ll end up in life.” It’s not about ‘determining’.
Dr. Robert Strohder:
“Hip-hop saved my life. I probably would have died or been in jail. I could have been drive-by, but I was in the studio.”
Metropolitan police officer Arnold Parker was very impressed when he met Strode.
“I said to him, ‘Brother, you have something special.’ There is a gold mine here.”
And the kids *flipped* about their new possibilities.
As one student said:
“I wouldn’t be where I am today without Mr. Stroda.”
another:
“Hip-hop influenced me to express myself more.”
and the third student
“I’m usually very quiet, but I feel like I’ve become more open about myself because of it.”
Strawder says the Hip-Hop Entrepreneurship Program includes much more than music.
“I had sixth graders, seventh graders, eighth graders create business plans. It taught me that hip-hop can go through everything and embrace everyone.”
And so did the community. Olivia Smith, Metropolis Foundation:
“It’s so much fun to see them and the audience reacting to them. That’s the satisfaction of my work.”
What did Tony Gladney of mgm Resorts feel?
“Energy. That passion is a healthy passion. It’s an effective passion that young people need to succeed.”
Strawder was recently named one of CCSD’s new educators of the year for a selection program that included the history of hip-hop and rap, but clearly goes well beyond that to address confidence building and life skills. .
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