The organization was conceived from the poor academic and employment trends within the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex (DFW). For instance, Dallas has the highest high school dropout rate in the nation. Moreover, Dallas school aged youth have low academic achievement rates in math and reading. The area has a critically low rate (10%) of graduating senior who are eligible college prepared. The reality
is that youth and young adults described by the current negative demographic trends in the DFW, and many other communities throughout the nation have lost interest in traditional means of achieving success and still others simply dream of a career in the arts. Our task is to capitalize on the skills that our target population currently has interest, involvement and demonstrated talent and make the arts either on or offstage a means to secure long-term stable employment. The careers that they want and not a job that they settle. Our purpose and passion is to do something powerful and has the greatest impact on reducing or eliminating chronic unemployment, economic impotence and generational incarceration The poor and underserved community’s’ continual decline and negative socio-demographic trends is what motivates our Art/Works Career Training Program. Extending access to arts career skills training to poor under-served individuals who are the least of our brethren is the essence of compassion and improves the quality of life of our DREAMERS. Texas is ranked 46th in the nation for the percentage of youth living in poverty. While Dallas – Fort Worth Metroplex in North Texas is home to some of the best public high schools in the nation, across North Texas, more than 23% of public school students will not graduate from high school. DFW has one of the highest drop out rates in the nation. Our administrative officers recruited a highly trained and seasoned professional seven member board of directors (BOD) with demonstrated expertise in the areas outlined within our strategic plans programmatic and facilitative support services A few of our board members are nationally renowned for their work in the area of expertise. For example, Dr. Sarah David who is a prominent nationally recognized and Award Winning Executive Career & Business Consultant, Coach, Branding, Social Media & LinkedIn Strategist, Dr. Richard Wilson served as a national expert in disability and rehabilitation research at the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) where he administered over $15,000,000.00 per year in discretionary grant research and demonstration programs. Dr. Wilson's area of research is focused on violence-related brain and spinal cord injury and related disabilities and cultural competence in disability and vocational rehabilitation research; and Shaughnna Blackmon, served as the president of the largest diversity group with the Microsoft Corporation , and is an early pioneer in the exposure of computer and software technology skills of at-risk youth and young adults from poor disadvantaged under-served population prior to the invention of the internet in the early 1990s. Our intimate knowledge of the population afforded us the awareness of the culture and interests in these communities. Our organization’s founders and our governing BOD have years of experience working with our target populations which afforded us the unique ability to have observed the artistic talents that are present. Everybody has a gift some have natural talents in traditional areas of education, some in athletics and then others are naturally talented in the arts. Therefore our organization endeavors to empower individuals to soar with their strengths. As a result, on June 15, 2014 Dallas Recording Entertainment Arts & Music Inc. Inc. was founded as a local 501 (C) 3 non-profit fine arts organization for the purpose of implementing programs that expand career and entrepreneurship opportunities through education, career skills training and entrepreneurship in the fine arts and to promote creative community economic development within the Dallas-Fort-Worth Metroplex. Dallas Recording Entertainment Arts & Music Inc. INC is currently strategically planning the implementation of our Art/Works Program. We are currently piloting our program, recruiting partners and engaged in logistic planning. Our target implementation date is January 15, 2016. Art/Works is a career skills training program that provides skills training to those 18 to 30-year old talented individuals living in poverty in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, (DFW). The instructional methods we employ will give our DREAMERS the tools to build a better Arts education and career skills training experience for everyone, everywhere, anytime. We plan to provide training that increase career and entrepreneurial skills, including arts education that increases our students aka DREAMERS knowledge regarding the range of available arts career and employment opportunities both on and off stage related to the students specific arts focus area. In addition we teach entrepreneurial skills regarding the business side of the arts and being an artist, whether their arts focus area is in rapping/singing, songwriting, choreography, videography, concert promotions, artist management or acting. Art/Works provides career skills training, build entrepreneurial skills, while simultaneously partnering with organizations such as Mogul Media Management and/or seasoned professionals in the arts to refine our learners aka DREAMERS arts focus area. Our career skills training curriculum will integrate multiple teaching methods in order to overcome the challenges hindering and challenging our target population's access to training and full participation needed to achieve successful outcomes. Art/Works will give our learners, educators, and community access to all aspects of the arts educational experience on their mobile devices and they’ll be able to learn anywhere. Our skills training program will partner with Blackboard Mobile™ and web-based learning platforms as a solution to overcome challenges and barriers to skills training, mentoring and career coaching. The addition of these technologies will give our DREAMERS the power to engage everyone on their terms. The digital and mobile instructional methods will offer DREAMERS instant access to the information they need. Encouraging the interaction they crave. Our use of BlackBoard Mobile and Web-based Learning Platforms, coupled with career coaching, mentoring and active learning field training experience through internships and apprenticeships, fundraising and capital campaign participation improve knowledge career and proprietary skills. We are employing a bootstrap community development model in developing an infrastructure and capacity that helps arts apply their artistry in a manner that help us help them.
