What We Do
5 Elements offers the following programming:
- Hip-Hop Curriculum - Intensive educational classes that combine hip-hop culture, social justice history and methods, and academic skill-building.
- Community Beautification - Aerosol art and mural production designed by community artists and youth for businesses, residences, and public space.
- Workshops and Trainings - Interactive lessons on hip-hop, social justice, community organizing, for both youth and staff professional development.
- Research and Data - We are dedicated to expanding our knowledge on the issues that affect the lives of our students and the communities they live in.
Youth can achieve academic success and personal wellness through culturally relevant education. 5 Elements has developed curriculum that is consistent with research on the effectiveness of hip-hop as a pedagogical tool. We offer community workshops and instructional classes that can be implemented from early education to the university level. Incorporating artistic elements such as murals and musical performance, students learn social justice issues, peer leadership, and literacy.
During 16 workshops facilitated between July-November 2015, we collected surveys from 304 youth (ages 11 through 24). 90% of participants indicated that they enjoyed the workshops, 91% indicated that they felt empowered, 94% indicated that they learned something new, and 97% rated the facilitators positively.
“I was comfortable. I felt like I was around good people, I could be myself.”
“I’m glad I met someone not bound by society and actually has drive to do anything to break all these barriers for youth in the Bay.”
“I felt more motivated, and I could relate to the stories. There are people who just give up, in reality there are no excuses. Makes me want to reevaluate my point of view.”
These evaluations of our workshops show the connections we make even within the span of just one 75-minute session. Our methods build community and motivate young people to take agency in their lives. This is needed in San Francisco, where rampant gentrification has decimated the population of families, public space is increasingly privatized, and local funds are divested from services towards the tech industry.
By 2018, we hope to improve the academic self-concept and civic engagement of over 1,000 youth; collecting data to determine causal indicators between 5 Elements’ activities and student success.