WHO WE ARE

Literacy Through Hip Hop is an innovative literacy program for children in grade six to eight. The program uses the popular youth culture of hip hop, specifically hip hop music, as a means to engage children about their reading and writing. Our aim is to improve the literacy skills of children in this crucial stage in their development by connecting it with something that many young people are interested in and excited about.

Download our pamphlet here.
 

DEFINITION OF LITERACY

We ascribe to the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) definition of literacy. In essence, while LTHH accepts that while reading and writing are traditional aspects of literacy, there is a wider communicative realm of literacy that, likewise, informs the traditional skills of reading and writing. As a program, LTHH hopes to encourage underprivileged kids to use language and images in rich and varied form to read, write, listen, speak, interpret, and represent their thoughts and ideas.
 

PROGRAM EXPANSION

CORE OBJECTIVES

• Improve each student’s literacy through repeated exposure to reading and writing provided by engagement in LTHH.
• Improve student’s confidence through engaging them in interesting and innovative literacy activities.
• Foster sustainability of the LTHH program in the community.
• Maintain consistent numbers of children throughout program.
• Continual development of innovative classroom material and follow up programming to core LTHH session.
• Expose students, teachers, principals, funders, community partners to the constructive capabilities and origins of hip hop music and culture.
• Maximize operating efficiency by keeping costs low, while program quality high.

LTHH 2008/2009 CURRICULUM

In the upcoming 2008/2009 curriculum, Literacy Through Hip Hop will be continuing its partnership with Parkdale Project Read and, for the first time, will be working with the Toronto Public Library (TPL). The following TPL GTA branches will function as the primary sites for this year’s campaign:

·          Barbara Frum

·          Long Branch

·          McGregor Park

·          Rexdale

·          Steeles

·          Parkdale

·          Morningside

·          STAR Hamilton

LTHH has worked diligently to adjust its programming by designing a new curriculum for the up-coming 2008/2009 campaign with the aim of targeting students in junior grades; that is, students in grades 6 to 8 (middle school ages). In the past, LTHH has aimed its programming at youth in elementary grades of 4 and 5, however, with greater awareness of the needs and challenges young people face, LTHH concluded that its programming would be best suited for youth at a later stage of elementary education.

UNIT TOPICS

i. The History of Hip Hop
Looking at the beginnings of hip hop and what led to its current state today. 

ii. The Elements of Hip Hop
Looking at the different elements that makes up hip hop: DJ'ing, MC'ing, breakdancing, beatboxing, social justice, activism and so forth.

iii. Hip Hop Globalization
A look at hip hop culture within Canada and all over the world. 

iv. Hip Hop Videos
Understanding the purpose of music videos and how they are made.

v. The Hip Hop Product
Understanding what goes into making a hip hop product and the different issues that are involved.

vi. Dance
Exposing students to a greater appreciation for the history and creative processes of hip hop dance. 

vii. Graffiti
Understanding of graffiti’s historical place in hip hop, while creating their own graffiti.

viii. Musicality
Understanding musicality that grounds hip hop by creating their own music and performances.

ix. Rap & Poetry
Understanding the similarities and distinctions between more traditional written poetries, oral poetries such as Spoken Word, and rap.

The end results of completing this program are threefold: (i) Students will visit a studio where they will record their own creations, (ii) Students will receive a published anthology of some of their class work, and (iii) Students will get to perform live in concert for their parents and friends. Throughout the school year, members of the hip hop community (ie. Rappers, dancers, graffiti artists) will be acting as guest speakers.