One Busy Summer Break
As hard as they’ve been working these past few months, The Cipher crew deserved a much-needed summer break. The free time in July gave them a chance to reflect, contemplate, and look back at all they’ve learned and everything they’ve accomplished in just 9 months.
They’ve been given the opportunity to learn in a different way, a less school-like environment, with unfamiliar peers they’ve grown to trust. They’ve met outstanding citizens of Austin who are positive and supportive role models that have been cheering them on all the way. And they’ve performed in places they never imagined they would at this stage in their young lives.
In just a few weeks, you’ll know exactly what The Cipher program has done for the participants when I post all-new video blogs! So don’t forget to check back soon!
GET YOUR SAUSAGE WRAPS!
Poetry is apparently a family affair for the Van Zandt-Sterlings.
Jo Van Zandt and her son 19-year-old Johnathon ‘Korim’ Sterling are not only poets themselves, but are also so committed to the proliferation of youth poetry that they spent every weekend over two whole months raising money to send as many Cipher youths as they could to a poetry festival in Washington D.C.
Jo made calls, got sausages, got supplies, set up the tent, and she made it happen! With the help of volunteers, a pool of family, friends, and Cipher supporters, sales from sausage wraps, chips, candy, and soda were enough for airfare and lodging for three Cipher participants.
In the picture, we’re in front of the Academy Sports and Outdoors off I-35 and 290. A very nice lady wanted to hear some poetry before donating to the cause. Fair enough. Jonathon did his thing like only he knows how to do it. His audience was very pleased.
Grassroots fundraising is a task in itself, as Jo can attest to, but it was well worth the reward. Read on to learn what a difference the proceeds made.
BRAVE NEW VOICES HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR
Every year,Youth Speaks, the nation’s leading presenter of spoken word, hosts an International Youth Poetry Slam Festival. With the proceeds from sausage wrap sales, two Cipher members and Gator were able to attend Brave New Voices from July 15-19.
Aside from the slam championships, guest speakers, and performances to attend to, the mini-crew had about 10,000 other young poets to meet in Washington D.C. For 17-year-old Cora Lee, one of the things she enjoyed the most were the random ciphers that would erupt just about everywhere she turned. All it would take is a group of people standing around - a beat would get going and impromptu poetry and rap would ensue. She also had a lot of fun listening to unique individuals of various backgrounds express themselves without fear of being judged.
“I like how everyone encouraged each other. If someone messed up on stage, they were still cheered on. It was all about just getting on stage and giving it your all,” recalled Cora.
The festival was a life-changing experience for Te’aunna ‘T-Fly’ Moore, also 17.
“Everybody got along, there were no fights, and everyone was there to do their thing. You could really tell poetry is life for the people that competed,” said Te’aunna, “I got a lot of inspiration from other people. I met so many people that like the same music I do and like to talk about the same things I like to talk about.”
One of her favorite events was the finals. In a typical slam competition, it’s all about the scores from the judges that determine the winner. But at Brave New Voices, no one cared about the judges or who won. According to Te’aunna, “We all won because we all made it there and we all love poetry.”
The ladies were able to attend a few workshops during their stay, which reinforced what they have already learned back home with the rest of The Cipher crew. They learned that when they write, they must write from the heart; it doesn’t matter what other people think, just be confident with it and that is good enough. They were also taught how to incorporate movement into their performances; as opposed to just standing there, they learned a variety of theatrics that could be weaved into their poetry piece.
Both of them had a lot of fun at Brave New Voices and hopefully the entire Cipher crew will be able to experience the festivities next year.
HIP-HOP EDUCATION IN THE HEARTLAND
The month-long break was also a good time for The Cipher staff to assess, review, prepare, and plan the program’s progress and future progress. From July 7 to 11, co-founders Shannon Sandrea and Christopher ‘Gator’ Ockletree attended the 3rd Annual Spoken Word and Hip-Hop Educator & Community Leader Training Institute held at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Board of Directors member SaulPaul also attended along with three other members from Gator’s crew, the Public Offenders.
The week-long program for teachers, educators, and community leaders offers important educational tools, hands-on techniques, and a platform in which to understand all of hip hop culture in order to strengthen and develop the best practices in hip hop and spoken word course study and lessons.
Every day from 8 in the morning until 10 at night, the group attended sessions covering various themes such as Language and Liberation, Beyond Bars and Borders: Youth Poetry, Community, and the Organic Intellectual, and Addressing and Articulating a Personal Pedagogy. Evening sessions concluded with performances, screenings, and discussions with notable artists such as Amiri Baraka and Queen GodIs.
One of the workshops were led by none other than Chris ‘Kazi’ Rolle, founder of the original Hip Hop Project in New York from which The Cipher was inspired. He shared the program’s curriculum and proven methods on how to actively engage youth through hip hop. Chris was extremely happy and very supportive of The Cipher’s progress; its success is an extension of all the work he has done with his program.
The training was invaluable to all who attended, but Yoli, Quincy, and Damien from the Public Offenders had the best experience of all.
“This was not just good for The Cipher, but for Austin’s future leaders that are being developed through this training,” explains Shannon, “Ever since they got back, they’ve all been interviewing for jobs with similar type work. They all want to be employed doing community work with youth.”
In order to fully grasp the concepts shared throughout the sessions, the ‘teachers’ became the ‘students.’ Everyone attending the class had to experience what the kids would by doing the writing exercises in the lesson plans.
Shannon says it was, “very deep and so emotional.”
The 50 people who attended the training had conversations on just about everything. There were many tears shed throughout the week and so many bonds were formed that it all became very spiritual. One of Shannon’s favorite aspects of the whole experience was the community created of people that they can all connect with, talk about projects, and share lessons on what they’ve learned.
Even though SaulPaul and Public Offenders weren’t scheduled to perform, they were asked to after proving their wide knowledge and commitment as hip hop educators.
Training sessions such as these are essential to the sustainability of the program’s curriculum and help keep Shannon and Gator on their toes in regard to current teaching methods and strategies in hip hop education. The trip would not have been possible without a generous donation from Susan and Brent Bockholt. The couple have been long-time fans of Public Offenders and were so inspired by The Cipher crew at the April fundraiser that they wanted to help in any way they could.
We’re glad they’re back and full of new information to share.
IT'S A GOOD LIFE FOR THE CIPHER
You know you’re doing something right when your happy face is on the cover of a publication called The Good Life. On page 52 of the July issue, Shelley Livaudais wrote a feature article all about the program. Thanks Shelley for the wonderful story!
Shelley‘s article helps expose The Cipher program to an open and diverse audience that may not have heard about it otherwise. And the more exposure, the more people are aware of the kind of stuff good people do here in Austin.
You can still get physical copies of the issue by contacting the mag or just click here to view the PDF. I really enjoyed the pictures that accompany the great article – they really captured The Cipher’s energy and boundless spirit.
The face on the cover was none other than T-Fly. Even though she thought it wasn’t her best picture, she thought it was pretty cool.
GO ORGANIC!
Besides the obvious reasons to buy organic at all times possible, there’s one more reason to shop especially at Whole Foods in Gateway Plaza. Each cash register displays donation jars which proceeds will all go to The Cipher. The jars have been up for several weeks, but they won’t be there forever! So when you’re thinking all-natural and organic, and you’re thinking Whole Foods, think Cipher as well when you pull out that wallet.
They’ve been given the opportunity to learn in a different way, a less school-like environment, with unfamiliar peers they’ve grown to trust. They’ve met outstanding citizens of Austin who are positive and supportive role models that have been cheering them on all the way. And they’ve performed in places they never imagined they would at this stage in their young lives.
In just a few weeks, you’ll know exactly what The Cipher program has done for the participants when I post all-new video blogs! So don’t forget to check back soon!
GET YOUR SAUSAGE WRAPS!
Poetry is apparently a family affair for the Van Zandt-Sterlings.
Jo Van Zandt and her son 19-year-old Johnathon ‘Korim’ Sterling are not only poets themselves, but are also so committed to the proliferation of youth poetry that they spent every weekend over two whole months raising money to send as many Cipher youths as they could to a poetry festival in Washington D.C.
Jo made calls, got sausages, got supplies, set up the tent, and she made it happen! With the help of volunteers, a pool of family, friends, and Cipher supporters, sales from sausage wraps, chips, candy, and soda were enough for airfare and lodging for three Cipher participants.
In the picture, we’re in front of the Academy Sports and Outdoors off I-35 and 290. A very nice lady wanted to hear some poetry before donating to the cause. Fair enough. Jonathon did his thing like only he knows how to do it. His audience was very pleased.
Grassroots fundraising is a task in itself, as Jo can attest to, but it was well worth the reward. Read on to learn what a difference the proceeds made.
BRAVE NEW VOICES HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR
Every year,Youth Speaks, the nation’s leading presenter of spoken word, hosts an International Youth Poetry Slam Festival. With the proceeds from sausage wrap sales, two Cipher members and Gator were able to attend Brave New Voices from July 15-19.
Aside from the slam championships, guest speakers, and performances to attend to, the mini-crew had about 10,000 other young poets to meet in Washington D.C. For 17-year-old Cora Lee, one of the things she enjoyed the most were the random ciphers that would erupt just about everywhere she turned. All it would take is a group of people standing around - a beat would get going and impromptu poetry and rap would ensue. She also had a lot of fun listening to unique individuals of various backgrounds express themselves without fear of being judged.
“I like how everyone encouraged each other. If someone messed up on stage, they were still cheered on. It was all about just getting on stage and giving it your all,” recalled Cora.
The festival was a life-changing experience for Te’aunna ‘T-Fly’ Moore, also 17.
“Everybody got along, there were no fights, and everyone was there to do their thing. You could really tell poetry is life for the people that competed,” said Te’aunna, “I got a lot of inspiration from other people. I met so many people that like the same music I do and like to talk about the same things I like to talk about.”
One of her favorite events was the finals. In a typical slam competition, it’s all about the scores from the judges that determine the winner. But at Brave New Voices, no one cared about the judges or who won. According to Te’aunna, “We all won because we all made it there and we all love poetry.”
The ladies were able to attend a few workshops during their stay, which reinforced what they have already learned back home with the rest of The Cipher crew. They learned that when they write, they must write from the heart; it doesn’t matter what other people think, just be confident with it and that is good enough. They were also taught how to incorporate movement into their performances; as opposed to just standing there, they learned a variety of theatrics that could be weaved into their poetry piece.
Both of them had a lot of fun at Brave New Voices and hopefully the entire Cipher crew will be able to experience the festivities next year.
HIP-HOP EDUCATION IN THE HEARTLAND
The month-long break was also a good time for The Cipher staff to assess, review, prepare, and plan the program’s progress and future progress. From July 7 to 11, co-founders Shannon Sandrea and Christopher ‘Gator’ Ockletree attended the 3rd Annual Spoken Word and Hip-Hop Educator & Community Leader Training Institute held at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Board of Directors member SaulPaul also attended along with three other members from Gator’s crew, the Public Offenders.
The week-long program for teachers, educators, and community leaders offers important educational tools, hands-on techniques, and a platform in which to understand all of hip hop culture in order to strengthen and develop the best practices in hip hop and spoken word course study and lessons.
Every day from 8 in the morning until 10 at night, the group attended sessions covering various themes such as Language and Liberation, Beyond Bars and Borders: Youth Poetry, Community, and the Organic Intellectual, and Addressing and Articulating a Personal Pedagogy. Evening sessions concluded with performances, screenings, and discussions with notable artists such as Amiri Baraka and Queen GodIs.
One of the workshops were led by none other than Chris ‘Kazi’ Rolle, founder of the original Hip Hop Project in New York from which The Cipher was inspired. He shared the program’s curriculum and proven methods on how to actively engage youth through hip hop. Chris was extremely happy and very supportive of The Cipher’s progress; its success is an extension of all the work he has done with his program.
The training was invaluable to all who attended, but Yoli, Quincy, and Damien from the Public Offenders had the best experience of all.
“This was not just good for The Cipher, but for Austin’s future leaders that are being developed through this training,” explains Shannon, “Ever since they got back, they’ve all been interviewing for jobs with similar type work. They all want to be employed doing community work with youth.”
In order to fully grasp the concepts shared throughout the sessions, the ‘teachers’ became the ‘students.’ Everyone attending the class had to experience what the kids would by doing the writing exercises in the lesson plans.
Shannon says it was, “very deep and so emotional.”
The 50 people who attended the training had conversations on just about everything. There were many tears shed throughout the week and so many bonds were formed that it all became very spiritual. One of Shannon’s favorite aspects of the whole experience was the community created of people that they can all connect with, talk about projects, and share lessons on what they’ve learned.
Even though SaulPaul and Public Offenders weren’t scheduled to perform, they were asked to after proving their wide knowledge and commitment as hip hop educators.
Training sessions such as these are essential to the sustainability of the program’s curriculum and help keep Shannon and Gator on their toes in regard to current teaching methods and strategies in hip hop education. The trip would not have been possible without a generous donation from Susan and Brent Bockholt. The couple have been long-time fans of Public Offenders and were so inspired by The Cipher crew at the April fundraiser that they wanted to help in any way they could.
We’re glad they’re back and full of new information to share.
IT'S A GOOD LIFE FOR THE CIPHER
You know you’re doing something right when your happy face is on the cover of a publication called The Good Life. On page 52 of the July issue, Shelley Livaudais wrote a feature article all about the program. Thanks Shelley for the wonderful story!
Shelley‘s article helps expose The Cipher program to an open and diverse audience that may not have heard about it otherwise. And the more exposure, the more people are aware of the kind of stuff good people do here in Austin.
You can still get physical copies of the issue by contacting the mag or just click here to view the PDF. I really enjoyed the pictures that accompany the great article – they really captured The Cipher’s energy and boundless spirit.
The face on the cover was none other than T-Fly. Even though she thought it wasn’t her best picture, she thought it was pretty cool.
GO ORGANIC!
Besides the obvious reasons to buy organic at all times possible, there’s one more reason to shop especially at Whole Foods in Gateway Plaza. Each cash register displays donation jars which proceeds will all go to The Cipher. The jars have been up for several weeks, but they won’t be there forever! So when you’re thinking all-natural and organic, and you’re thinking Whole Foods, think Cipher as well when you pull out that wallet.
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