Program areas at Shaw Community Center
Educational Programs - As an Arts and Humanities organization, SCM provides humanities and arts-inspired, academically robust afterschool programs that serve 150 low-income BIPOC youth, ages 5-19, each weekday, with culturally responsive humanities and arts instruction, tutoring in Reading, Spelling and Math. Our non-violent direct action capstone events include Lee on the 11/Art All Night and Celebrate Your Heritage. Our Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) afterschool programs include structured educational support, guided recreation, meals and snacks, and social developmental asset building. Under the Real News Media Interns program, SCM empowers BIPOC teens/young adults in learning digital media skills, paying them stipends, and using those skills to produce and edit videos that are posted on social media and our website. These approaches address the deleterious effects of the pandemic, mental health challenges, and other societal disparities in education or representation.
Economic Mobility Systems Change - As a social justice change agent, SCM mobilizes, empowers, and advocates for our 2,000 BIPOC constituents. Under the Men Acquiring Life Skills program, SCM provides a safe and structured exercise routine, vocational training, and mental health interventions for BIPOC teens and young adults. SCM offers financial literacy, housing equity / homeownership, and entrepreneurial workshops to the entire community. Under our College Readiness program, SCM prepares BIPOC youth for higher education by providing college readiness classes, career exploration, and stipends/financial assistance. Collectively, these approaches address impacts of bias, disrupt violence, and equip individuals with life skills, economic mobility and sustainability opportunities, and networks to progressively improve life outcomes.
Summer Camp - A six-week summer day camp for 125 children and youth provides full day activities including cultural identity instruction, social asset development, academically themed weeks, reading clubs, sports, team building, arts, music, dance, martial arts, digital media literacy, career exploration and enriching field trips. These approaches address summer learning loss, unfinished learning, and mental health challenges.