Year: 2002

Partner

Self-initiated (Team Revolution)

Location

Brooklyn, NY (Canarsie)

Context / Challenge

In a neighborhood with few safe spaces, local youth needed a place to learn, create, and feel supported—a critical alternative to gang activity, violence, and drugs. Team Revolution became the first dedicated youth-led community hub in Canarsie.

Role

Founder, experience designer, and facilitator ("Social Imagineer") — focused on building a student-led organization designed to nurture the next generation of civic leaders.

What We Built

Transformed my family home into a grassroots community center that quickly evolved into a larger facility funded by a successful $25,000 community fundraising campaign. This center became a mentorship hub and the original Powerhouse Community Arts Center, featuring a recording studio and a theater.

Approach / Methods

Radical hospitality, peer-led learning, and creative outlets as forms of self-care. We utilized a student-led model based on the philosophy: "We must create systems that are beneficial to our self-actualization, self-improvement, and overall health of our lives and communities."

Impact / Outcomes

Hundreds of young people (ages 13-23) were engaged in community service, GED preparation, mentorship, and creative expression. The center provided positive alternatives to risky behaviors, sparking a generation of youth leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers.

Story

“The oasis for creativity, connection, and elevation started out of a home, and quickly scaled into a thriving hub proving that youth can solve problems where adults have failed.”

Tags

Grassroots, Youth Development, Education, Community Center, Social Entrepreneurship, Media Arts