The David's Harp Foundation, Inc.

#FlashbackFriday to 5 years ago in the studio! Where on earth has time gone?! Sometimes its hard to believe we've been lucky enough to do this work for so many years.

Our BizPod program is aimed at training up the next generation of creatives. We focus on every aspect of the creative process - from inception to shoot day to final product delivery. Every class and every project is a collaboration between students and instructors. The only way we know how! #DavidsHarpFoundation

We're missing coffee shop brainstorm hangs with this crew. Grateful for all our local San Diego businesses that are working so hard to keep us caffeinated! We can't wait to be back in this spot soon.

How do we leverage music to prevent youth from re-entering the juvenile justice system? How do we help youth navigate probation successfully outside our studio space? How can we genuinely walk through the mud with young people and one another? These are just a few of the questions we're asking ourselves on a daily basis. We're still searching for the answers but at least we're doing it together!

We are so excited about these incredible organizations who have received The Lewis Prize for Music 2021 Awards. What a phenomenal group of individuals working to create positive change through music!

Ending the week the best way we know how, making music with our students! Let's go!

Successful distance learning isn’t just about strong Wi-Fi or access to a laptop, our students need consistent support and individual attention. That’s why we’ve partnered with Reality Changers to create our safe Distance Learning Hub. Every Monday, students at the Hub receive academic support from the Reality Changers team then participate in music programming with our instructors. We’re grateful for all the incredible partners making it possible for us to catch our students before they fall behind and support them during this vital time. #DistanceLearning #MusicEducation

Every class at DHF starts with check-ins. High, Low & Hope. Our staff lead the way in sharing about their lives and invite our students to do the same. It’s the secret sauce that isn't really a secret. Just consistent, honest, check-ins - this is our daily routine with our youth and with each other. We hope you take the time to check in with yourself + the people around you today. It's gonna be a long week, let's take care of each other. Sending love + good jams your way. - The DHF Crew

"Art provides the space to exhale what is going on in our lives" - Evan, BizPod Supervisor Joining our students this week and taking a deep exhale through art. Join us!

Sitting down with one of our newest Biz Pod students to work on a film script. We get so much energy from working with our students to make their creative vision come to life. One of the main goals of Biz Pod is empowering our young people to turn their ideas into reality. #CreativityIsntCanceled

Shout out to all of our partners helping us get through another Monday! We're looking at you @sony - thanks for keeping the beats where they belong. #Sony #MusicEducation

What we've found to be true is that students need help completing calculus homework AND need safe spaces to be creative and process complex emotions. The goal of the DHF Distance Learning Hub is to blend these worlds; offering our young people holistic and authentic support from adults who are committed to their growth in all areas. Read more about the Distance Learning Hub today on the blog! #musiceducation #arteducation #distancelearning #sandiego

Strolling through the street with our Fall Business Pod Interns! Last week 5 new high school students started our 6 week Biz Pod incubator program. The program provides students with hands on experience in media production, preparing them for a career in the creative industry. Biz Pod gives students the ability to build their resume, learn and apply media production skills, and be mentored by professionals in the field. #ArtEducation #SanDiego

It's Monday, which means the Distance Learning Hub is in full swing. Students receive one on one support with their school and then join our instructors to create beats, write lyrics and work on music projects. Best way to kick off another week!

David and Jesus are DHF program graduates, they both went through the Business Pod Program and are now serving as instructors and mentors! They recently created a video series focused on the work we are doing to support young people during Covid. Read more about their inspiration and vision for the series on today's blog. David and Jesus are our mission in action, we are committed to working ourselves out of jobs as our young people rise up to take our place! https://davidsharpfoundation.org/more-than-music/

We have always been on mission to provide more than music. These past several months we have moved beyond the typical support services offered to youth. Instead of asking "What can we do for our youth?", we asked our youth what they needed and set to work to make it happen. This season we've stepped into our mission more than ever. By meeting youth where they are at and using the power of relationships, we have continued to create life long change through radical love. We sat down with staff members and program graduates to learn more about their experience during Covid-19. The result is a new video series, More Than Music. Check out the first video in the series today (an interview with our very own Joseph Mack III ) to see how we are moving beyond the music and connecting with students in real time.

We don't create programs for young people, we create programs WITH young people. Our goal is to work side by side with our students; creating programs, classes and a shared vision that is guided and informed by the voice of our students. #MusicEducation #YouthVoice

That Thursday feeling #DistanceLearningHub

Last year we learned that 91% of our students weren't participating in distance learning. We set to work to find a solution and thanks to the partnership of some incredible individuals and organizations, we were able to create the Distance Learning Hub. The Hub is a physical space for our students to participate in school, receive support from our staff and make amazing music in the process. #DistanceLearning #MusicEducation

This photo is of former student and Business Pod Graduate, Jesus, taking headshots of our Manager of Program Instruction, Rashaad. It's incredible to see our students come full circle. Jesus is creating video and photo content for our programs regularly and is a big part of our team at DHF!

First look at our Distance Learning Hub! This past spring we listened to our youth when they shared the reasons why they weren't participating in distance learning. They expressed that community and consistent support were just as important as laptops and high speed internet. Our response? A Distance Learning Hub in our East Village space made possible by a generous donation from Cox Communications, Western States Arts Federation, and the Clare Rose Foundation. Check out today's video for a sneak peek and stay tuned for more info and ways to be involved coming soon!