Released on = August 22, 2007, 3:19 pm

Press Release Author = The Urban Youtht Empowerment Foundation

Industry = Education

Press Release Summary = Groundbreaking educational hip-hop program offered at Los
Angeles public charter school.

Press Release Body = Los Angeles, California – August 22, 2007 –A unique educational
Hip Hop program is being offered at a public charter school in South Los Angeles.
The Global Awareness through Hip Hop class, now in its second year, is taught by the
course’s creator, Sebastien Elkouby, and is one of the only full time educational
Hip Hop programs in the country being offered as an elective course to 7th and 8th
grade students.

Elkouby, founder of the Urban Youth Empowerment Foundation, an organization which
uses Hip Hop culture as a tool for youth empowerment, created this program to
address the educational crisis that affects more than 50% of inner-city middle and
high school students. As similar statistics are observed in many cities across the
nation, it became clear that a new method was needed to reach students with poor
grades at risk for dropping out.

Elkouby says, “For a variety of reasons, these students feel completely disconnected
from the traditional educational process and, ultimately, they give up. This
program helps students develop critical thinking skills by using Hip Hop to analyze
pop culture media and social movements, while simultaneously teaching students
language arts, history, social studies, cultural diversity, geography, and health.”
He adds, “Using Hip Hop as a medium to reach students makes sense considering they
have such a strong connection to its culture. Last year’s success of the program
confirms it works.”

The Global Awareness Through Hip Hop course is offered for the entire school year
beginning August 27, 2007 through June 22, 2008.






Web Site = http://www.thefoundationonline.net

Contact Details = The Urban Youth Empowerment Foundation can be reached at:
info@thefoundationonline.net or 310-654-1681.