The Slam Movement

The Mission of “The Slam!” The Slam Movement is a program teaching sustainability through Music, art and voice. The Slam movement is dedicated to helping inner-city youth find and use voice and music as a positive release rather than violence, gangs and illegal graffiti. We at The Slam Movement think it’s important to get students out into the community, in which they live, and volunteer their art whether it is painting murals on walls or planning benefit shows for their cause. Either way, we are here to empower students to make sure their presence and voice is recognized within their community. Back Ground Of The Slam!: During the 2008/2009 school year I tutored and mentored K-5TH grade through City Year Boston. During my first couple of months working, I analyzed the children’s behavior and attendance. I saw that both were very poor and realized that although being a good role-model would make a difference, the students really needed a way to vent their everyday frustration. Then the idea hit me, I wanted to teach these children how to use their voice’s instead of their fists. After a few months of vigilant advocacy on my part, my supervisor informed our team that we could implement and run an after-school program one day a week. THE SLAM WAS BORN! Implementation Of “THE SLAM!”: The Slam movement was founded and driven by myself, an Ameri-corps Alumni, Jeremiah Bacon. The Slam was founded in 2008 and was first implemented in The Aggasiz Elementary School in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts during my Corps year with City Year Boston. I decided early on that the main project of The Slam was to prepare for the main event, which would be a poetry slam at the end of the school year. I made many calls to local artists and disc-jockeys to stop by after-school and talk to the kids about what self expression meant to them. I let each speaker know our goal was to help students understand that using their voice or talent was more effective than using alternative ways to handle problems. Soon after The Slam after school program was up and running, attendance for after-school became more and more consistent and behavioral problems began to decline and friendships developed. Students began to use their voice in a constructive manner and it showed positively in their writing after only a few weeks. The Students that The Slam after school program worked with showed tremendous growth in character over the duration of the program. One story is of a of 5th grader named Edward. Edward was very self-conscious, had a stuttering problem and was always dealing with fellow peers negative remarks towards him. Edward would blow up anytime children teased him. Slam mentors talked to Edward frequently and through months of dedication Edward developed enough confidence that he read his poem In a jam packed auditorium with fellow peers, parents and City Year Corps Members. He did it flawlessly and without stuttering. When Edward walked off stage the smile on his face was worth a million words. Edward won 2nd place that day which enabled him to move to performing at the Boston Science Museum to represent The Slam! I, and other slam mentors, worked hard with these children to make sure that they understood that they could use their voice as an effective problem solving tool as well as a powerful release of self-expression. The Slam! taught that using creative arts, particularly writing and art, would not only encourage self expression and skills development, but also (inclusive of language arts framework) encourage both oral presentation, dramatic reading and performance and composition. We made a difference! Conclusion: I, and many others, strongly believe that The Slam! movement’s mission can be effective in all inner city schools across America. The Slam! can be flexible and tailored to work with any age or grade. I plan, by using The Slam!, to create a movement which WILL deliver the best after-school program anyone has to offer.