The CCCADI For the Culture Summer Program is designed to support youth autonomy in navigating and contributing to conversations about race, racism and anti-Black violence, develop future leaders in social justice and cultural equity, and create bridges between art, culture, & social justice.
Building Justice: Constructing Spaces of Solidarity through Youth Design and Action
The Youth Design and Equity Lab is a 5-week summer experience for young people to explore the intersection of culture, identity, and community design. Through a dynamic collaboration between UDL’s Design the Block program and CCCADI’s For the Culture (HARP) program, students will engage both the historical foundations of the African Diaspora and the practical tools needed to reimagine and shape their communities.
Students are not only learning how to design the future, they are grounding that vision in the cultural knowledge, history, and identity that must shape it. The Youth Design & Equity Lab is a collaborative summer experience where young people engage both cultural identity and community design, developing the awareness, skills, and agency to understand their past and intentionally shape the future.
CULMINATING EVENT:
TBA
ABOUT
For The Culture: Harlem Ancestral Renaissance Project (HARP)
The Harlem Ancestral Renaissance Project is aimed at engaging, educating, and empowering 20-30 Black and Brown youth, ages 16 - 20, through master classes, community and intergenerational exchange, and art making. The Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s was a celebratory act of resistance highlighting the intellectual, artistic, and cultural contributions of African Descendants of that time. Today, Harlem continues to be a melting pot and artistic center of resistance for the African Diaspora, from the motherland of Africa, through the entire Caribbean to the many stops on the Underground Railroad. In a time where our culture continues to be appropriated and erasure is on the rise, we look to youth throughout New York City to highlight and preserve the impact of the African Diaspora on the establishment and future of Harlem.
In the “looking back to see forward” spirit of Sankofa, HARP will have its participants transform their new knowledge into an Artivism Project through art making and social justice that speak to the living presence of the diasporic spirit of joy and resistance in the Harlem of today.
The Urban Design League (udl)
The Urban Design League empowers young people to envision themselves as co-creators of their lives and communities. We are on a mission to inspire and nurture the creative genius of youth to become confident, compassionate, and courageous community builders through the transformative power of STEAAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Advocacy, Art, and Math).
Our scholars gain the skills, experiences, and creative confidence that enable them to navigate life’s challenges, cultivate positive relationships, and build healthy, inclusive, and equitable community spaces. Our goal is to ensure that marginalized youth gain the knowledge and confidence to pursue the education and career of their choice and thrive in the modern workforce.
Program Dates
July 6 - August 6, 2026
Mondays - Thursdays from 9:30 AM - 3:45 PM
Program Objectives:
Grassroots Community Development Skills
Fundamentals of Architectural Design Skills
Leadership, Teamwork & Impact Creation
City Planning & Historical landmark Studies
Hands-On Architectural Build Experience
Students who complete the program receive a stipend of $2550.
ABOUT YOUTH PATHWAYS
The For the Culture: Harlem Ancestral Renaissance Project is part of CCCADI’s Youth Pathways. An arts education program, Youth Pathways is designed to provide Black and Brown youth with space and opportunity to experience active community engagement and advocacy, cultural empowerment and enrichment, and a connection to a larger global movement. The youth are leaders of our Diasporic community and we seek to amplify their voices and vision for meaningful and impactful social change.
For questions about the HARP program, please contact: education@cccadi.org
CCCADI’s For the Culture Summer Program is made possible by support from the Warner Music Group/Blavatnik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund, and the Pinkerton Foundation.