Reading With A Rapper

@missouricitytx ,are you ready? 🎢📚 On May 21, City Hall transforms into a world of wonder where literacy meets play, culture, and creativity. ✨ Interactive stations ✨ Creative challenges ✨ Live demonstrations ✨ Fun for the whole family We’re welcoming STAR Academy in a way you’ve never seen before. 🗓 May 21 | 6:30–9 PM 📍 Missouri City Community Center Admission is free. Just bring your curiosity. 🎟 Grab your tickets: readingwitharapper.com

Houston educators… something special is opening on May 22. We present the Teachers’ Lounge Membership Club. Featuring a special fireside chat with Lauren Sills @sillsnumber2 , Head of Operations for the @nbafoundation powered by @_smartfinancial Come mix and mingle with fellow educators and hear how Lauren transitioned from being an educator to executive! Free Limited spots. Hit the link in our bio.

@missouricitytx ,are you ready? 🎢📚 On May 21, City Hall transforms into a world of wonder where literacy meets play, culture, and creativity. ✨ Interactive stations ✨ Creative challenges ✨ Live demonstrations ✨ Fun for the whole family We’re welcoming STAR Academy in a way you’ve never seen before. 🗓 May 21 | 6:30–9 PM 📍 Missouri City Community Center Admission is free. Just bring your curiosity. 🎟 Grab your tickets: readingwitharapper.com

Mo City… we’re on the way 🚀✨

Somewhere in the Show Me City… 📍

Houston, a new All‑Star moment is about to hit the city. The @nbafoundation has partnered with us to launch Literacy Grants for the opening of @officialstaracademy , RWAR’s new Edutainment learning centers built to take on the challenges facing our students, teachers, and families. Only 100 families will receive this exclusive grant opportunity, and once they’re gone, they’re gone. Head to readingwitharapper.com (link in bio) now to learn about the requirements to apply! Share this so the right families don’t miss their shot. 🤘🏾✨🏀

Education is about to get a major upgrade! The @nbafoundation told us they’re ready to bring culture to the classroom! ✨✨✨

Greetings, I’m JD! I didn’t just arrive in Houston because the children were struggling. I could feel the weight on the teachers who are giving everything they have with too little support. I could feel the frustration of families who want the best for their kids but keep running into barriers they didn’t create. The pressure on this city’s classrooms was so strong it reached me across galaxies. My strength grows every time a young person reads, learns, or unlocks a new idea. That energy is powerful, and I am here to protect it. When I found the Edutainers already fighting for students, teachers, and families, I knew this was where my mission had to begin. Houston is ready for something different. A shift in how we treat knowledge. A movement that turns reading into a source of power and gives every child, every educator, and every family a reason to believe again. This is only the beginning. If this is where the story starts, imagine what comes next.

A classroom in Sunnyside filled with verses, vulnerability, and vision. After eight weeks of learning literacy through hip hop, students at the first Star Academy (@officialstaracademy ) at Bloom Academy Charter School (@bloomacademycharterschool ) took the stage to share original work shaped by their own experiences, hopes, and transitions. Families listened. Community showed up. And the impact was undeniable. Programs like Reading With A Rapper (@readingwarapper ) remind us that when students are trusted with their voices, learning deepens. Forward Fam, let us know in the comments ⬇️: how do we make more room for creativity, culture, and self-expression in our schools? _________ 🎥: filmed, edited, and voiceover by vp wright ( @thevpwright ) Forward Times Digital Editor & Creator of the “For The Culture” Column #ReadingWithARapper #HoustonEducation #YouthVoices CommunityLedLearning ForTheCulture

When culture leads, students follow. 💛 This week’s For The Culture cover story in collaboration with @dnglyfe takes you inside Reading With A Rapper’s Star Academy (@officialstaracademy ) as students at Bloom Academy and Bethel’s Family Christian Academy closed an eight-week journey rooted in hip-hop, literacy, and self-expression. Two nights. Two communities. One truth: when students learn through what they love, they find their voice. Read the full story online by clicking the link in our bio, or grab one of the limited editions of the paper off Houston newsstands. _________ #ForTheCulture #ForwardTimes #HoustonEducation #ReadingWithARapper #BlackJoy

Watching the end product of this work was powerful. Seeing Bloom Scholars step up, take the mic, and share their spoken word pieces in front of their families was a clear reminder of what happens when young people are genuinely poured into. When they are given time, trust, and a safe space to grow, they rise. This moment was built through the heart, intention, and consistency of @readingwarapper From the curriculum vision crafted by @lovejaydru to the powerful facilitation and presence of @d_hype_juan to the unwavering leadership of the founders and creators @jarrensmall and @theartofdouglas every layer of RWAR showed up for these kids in a real way. The confidence was undeniable. Scholars felt seen, heard, and valued and it echoed through every word they spoke. Having them meet @buddieroe7100 the very artist they studied throughout the program, brought the journey full circle and affirmed that their voices matter beyond the classroom. I’m deeply grateful for the RWAR team and honored to stand alongside people who show up for kids with purpose, care, and excellence. This wasn’t just a ceremony, it was a culmination of belief, commitment, and real work. The future of RWAR is bright. The future of these scholars is even brighter. Salute to RWAR and to our Bloom Scholars 🫡 #scholars #reading #with #a #rapper

The RWAR program is all about impact! Check out the Director of Culture @cjmotivation for @bloomacademycharterschool , as he explains how the program has had a significant impact on their students and staff! He even talked about how our partnering artist @buddieroe7100 made a longstanding impact on the students that studied his Curriculum Project™️, titled: Lost & Found!