Youth are Learning thru Rap at the Bowling Green Housing Authority Learning Center

HUD Southeast Regional Administrator visits youth at Bowling Green Housing Authority Learning Center.

Youth at the Bowling Green Housing Authority Learning Center have discovered a huge advantage in the way that they are educated - Learning Thru Rap. Thanks to an unconventional Executive Director, Abraham Williams, and Adairville Elementary School Assistant Principal and teacher, Jonathan Stovall, kids are taught in a language that interests them - rap music - and their learning skills are growing by leaps and bounds. The children not only write the lyrics to the rap, but they also compose the beat and record the music.

"We are attempting to meet students where they are at. Not asking them to conform to the traditional sit and get classroom. The creation of music in their language has had academic, social, and environmental implications," said Stovall. "The Housing Authority of Bowling Green sees the value of this program and partnered with us to do a week-long summer camp summer in 2017. In this camp, the students created three songs on three different subjects."

Some of the topics tackled by the students are The Preamble to the Constitution, multiplication tables, and bullying. And now the summer camp program has been extended through the tutoring program offered during the week at the housing authority.

"This is an outstanding approach to learning," said HUD Southeast Regional Administrator Denise Cleveland-Leggett. "The proof is in the academic results that they are achieving and the bonus is that the students are much more engaged than in traditional classroom settings."

Find the productions on Youtube linked below.

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