BALTIMORE — Living with mental health issues is a challenge, but art is helping some people here in Baltimore.
The RISE Arts Center is helping the city's youth gain techniques they can use throughout their lives.
For 14-year-old Malaika Bradley, school has always been a strain.
"A lot of trying to fit in, trying to be this, trying to be popular. A lot of things that go on and on,” said Malaika Bradley.
That all changed when she joined Rise Arts Center of Baltimore. She’s been part of the program for two years.
"Being in here definitely gave me the sense of pride of being who I am and to really shine my own light,” said Bradley.
"RISE Arts Center of Baltimore stands for reach for your dreams, inspire creativity, stay focused, and evolve to step into your purpose,” said Kammeran Gigger, the founder.
It's a nonprofit that provides art education to neurodivergent youth ages 3 to 24.
"Youth and young adults who have ADHD, ADD, dyslexia as well as mental health disorders, PTSD and other things like that, but autism is one of our main focuses,” said Gigger.
It's what brought Bradley to the arts center.
"So Malaika is a traumatic brain injury survivor, which has created a series of challenges, ADHD in particular,” said her mother, Brinae Ali.
Giggers started the program after seeing a lack of art education in schools.
"Within Baltimore, there are over 10,500 youth who identify with having a disability. Yet, within Baltimore City Public Schools, within the arts curriculum, there isn't any,” said Gigger.
The nonprofit uses a variety of art techniques, aiming to strengthen their creative skills.
"We teach them about various facets of art such as digital art, animation, crocheting, film production, ceramics, music production,” said Gigger.
Then, the nonprofit supports them in starting their own business. Giggers said she's seeing the impact and watching their lives change.
"Now, over the past four years of being in business, we've had over 90 percent of our youth who started in our program leave with jobs or have started their own art space business or are in college today,” said Giggers.
For the younger group, the focus is on musical theater skills.
"We're building on those skills of communication, self-advocacy, public speaking, confidence,” said Giggers.
So far, 250 kids and young adults have gone through the program, with hopes to expand to serve more.
If you have a young one that would benefit from art creativity, head to https://www.riseartscenter.org/
