Hip hop crew gets the goods

Courtesy of the city’s Non-Renewable Community Project Funding Program, Culture Shock Canada – which recently moved its home office from the Beacon Hill-Cyrville area to Orléans – has been granted $20,000 for its youth outreach hip hop program. “It helps solidify our partnership (with the city) and the validity of our programming,” says Marc-André Clément, the group’s national executive director, of the funding. “We no longer have to wonder if we’re going to do three programs this year, or 10 programs another year. Now, we can shop around … and give it to somebody who’s ready to work for it.”

The first incarnation of Culture Shock was established in 1993 in the United States, with a chapter launching in Ottawa several years later. Its mandate promotes positive lifestyles, non-violence, physical fitness and community involvement, as well as accessible hip hop instruction.

The hip hop outreach program offers free, hour-long classes for local youth during the school year, culminating in a major showcase event every summer, explains Clément. Previously, Culture Shock ran programming through funding from other not-for-profits, he continues. Achieving official non-profit status two years ago, however, meant the group could start applying for funding, Clément adds – which they did, receiving $18,000 from the same city program last year.

Last year, the money helped Culture Shock offer five different hip hop outreach programs across the city, he says, in partnership with various facilities like local schools and community centre. The city funding also allows the organization to be more selective about where they host classes, since facilities no longer have to pay for their services, Clément continues, adding that locations for fall programs are currently being finalized.

Overall, the city’s allocations committee for the Non-Renewable Community Project Funding Program approved 26 one-year projects and two three-year initiatives out of 72 applications received, resulting in a funding commitment of $453,600. As its primary focus, the program strives to improve access for people who face barriers to participation or obtaining services. This year’s goals included increasing participation in community activities for families with children aged zero to 18, promoting the healthy development of children between the same ages, upping involvement of low-income families in cultural programs and encouraging physical activity.

In terms of benefits to the young people attending Culture Shock classes, Clément points to a full-scale study completed by a University of Ottawa Ph.D student on the organization and what sort of influence participation had on youth in south-east Ottawa. “It’s all positive,” he says of the psychological, emotional and physical changes the study noted in participants. “(In general), all the kids have improved their hip hop skills. It goes as far as kids becoming more understanding of their peers, kids doing better in school and kids gaining respect for their elders.”