Community Project

Ashley is developing and implementing a Hip Hop and beatboxing workshop series designed for Albuquerque’s most vulnerable youth. Tailored to young people who may be homeless, transitioning out of detention facilities, or simply navigating life without the support or resources they need, the program will offer struggling kids a break and the opportunity to see themselves as creators – not just survivors. 

Her project will introduce youth to the foundational elements of Hip Hop – emceeing, DJing, dance, graffiti art, and knowledge of self – while incorporating beatboxing as a powerful tool for breathwork and emotional regulation. She wants to use her skills as a beatboxer to teach young people that breathing is the baseline of life; knowing how to breathe through challenges enables you to take on anything. By showing youth how to use their breath to create rhythm, manage stress, and express emotion, they will learn how to regulate their bodies and navigate challenges with strength and creativity.

Ashley will collaborate with somatic therapists and mental health specialists to connect Hip Hop with trauma-informed healing practices. By creating a safe and inclusive space rooted in rhythm, voice, and movement, she hopes to help kids see that they can be their own heroes. Through Hip Hop, they’ll learn that their voices, experiences, and stories have power and that they already hold everything they need to build, heal, and transform both themselves and their communities.

Community PARTNER

La Plazita Institute, Inc. (LPI) is a healing-centered organization with over 20 years of service. Our mission is to use a comprehensive, holistic, and cultural approach grounded in the philosophy of La Cultura Cura to engage youth, elders, and communities in drawing from their own roots and histories. Through this work, we foster the expression of core traditional values of respect, honor, love, and family.