Photo credit: Maicol Diaz of Unique Photography and Design.

Rudy Sablon is director of programs for The Motivational Edge, a nonprofit that uses the arts to inspire youth towards academic achievement, increased self-confidence and building essential life skills. Below, he writes about a lyrical expression and audio recording program, which is receiving $50,000 in new support from Knight Foundation.

Most kids can’t wait for their summer and spring breaks; they’re itching to get out of school and into the world. But when that world lacks basic resources—such as food, shelter and safety—these breaks can be the scariest time of year. Research has shown that if at-risk teenagers are going to find trouble it will be in the hours after school, when they’re trying to find ways to occupy their time.

In addition to delinquency, aggressive or violent behavior and substance abuse, teenagers living in low-income, diverse areas wrestle with the additional factors of living with families dealing with poverty, hunger and language and cultural barriers. In specific, the Allapattah region of Miami-Dade County has the sad distinction of having rates of crime and poverty that are higher than the community average.

“A lot of these youth have nothing to do after school,” said CEO Ian Welsch, founder of The Motivational Edge, which uses the arts to promote high-quality instruction and learning for students in all disciplines. “Having meaningful, engaging activities are imperative in order to keep kids off the streets and safe.”

Through many constructive programs and services offered by The Motivational Edge, a good number of those teens can have not only a safe haven when school’s out, but something meaningful to do once they get there. This spring break, March 24-28, The Motivational Edge will do just that by keeping their doors open for youths ages 5-18 in the Allapattah, Brownsville and Liberty City areas of Miami.

Funded through Knight Foundation, the lyrical expression and audio recording courses offered throughout the year and this spring break aim to inspire underserved youths via creative writing, songwriting and lyrical expression, while offering a rare and safe outlet for them to positively express themselves, without being judged.

Welsch founded The Motivational Edge in 2008 as a small organization with big aspirations. Six years later, the nonprofit “offers year-round programs that serve low-income teens and youth from diverse backgrounds who are looking for inspiration and guidance,” Welsch said.

The Motivational Edge has become an oasis—a safe place full of opportunities for every student, he said, serving more than 300 youth and adults throughout South Florida each year.

“Engaging the arts can be a fairly expensive hobby,” Welsch said. “For many of these kids, because of their situations, it’s the first time that they’ve ever been in a recording studio, used a musical instrument or stroked a paint brush. At The Motivational Edge there are plenty of programs for at-risk youth, offering consistent, affordable, high-quality arts programming.”