The purpose of The Cipher is to provide participants with the means to envision their future optimistically despite a challenging environment that includes high levels of school dropout and teen pregnancy. The program envisions a group of confident and engaged young people who will gain positive learning experiences, build self-esteem, improve academic performance, and expand possibilities for their future. Our project has recruited 25 young adults residing in this area ages 15-21 that have been referred from probation officers and various social-service organizations throughout Austin. The Cipher connects with these participants by speaking a language that embraces cultural differences, communicating in ways that make them feel more comfortable, and reaching out differently from any other program. Engaging youth in community events, rallies, and festivals and providing opportunities to meet with committed mentors, musicians, poets, and community leaders helps them establish positive relationships, learn positive coping skills, and ways to create their own opportunities.

In 1999, formerly homeless teen Chris ‘Kazi’ Rolle created the Hip Hop Project through New York City’s Art Start program. Despite common struggles faced by inner city youth, the participants produced their own collective hip hop album, and in the process, gained confidence in their abilities, higher knowledge, and life skills towards a positive future.

A documentary of The Hip Hop Project (produced by Bruce Willis and Queen Latifah) released in spring 2007 has inspired other cities to create similar programs. Complementary to the original, the mission of The Cipher – Austin’s Hip Hop Project is to build a community of young leaders and socially-responsible hip hop artists and to strengthen the East Austin community in multiple ways. Thrilled by a once-in-a-lifetime chance to record their own collective hip hop CD, the skills gained through the program will take them farther in life than they would have thought possible. The writing and communication exercises taught at every meeting serve as a platform for expression that addresses their feelings of powerlessness, isolation, and self-efficacy.