ARTIST MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
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Mission Statement
Mission Statement The Artist Mentorship Program (AMP) supports youth navigating the trauma of homelessness by creating community, relationships, and music and arts mentorships so that esteem is enhanced, confidence is fortified, and pathways out of homelessness are built. Equity Statement The Artist Mentorship Program (AMP) recognizes the systemic oppression of youth experiencing homelessness and works to engage all voices to create a diverse and inclusive environment in which youth can thrive. AMP is committed to pursuing diversity, equity and inclusion for all people regardless of gender identity, racialized identity, Indigenous status, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, ability, socioeconomic status, and religion in all policies and practices. AMP’s commitment to this constantly evolving awareness will be held at the forefront of our organizational decisions.
About This Cause
AMP provides vital music and art education and support services to youth experiencing homelessness since 1994. At AMP we recognize and strive to meet crucial engagement needs and support services that acknowledge trauma as the key factor for why youth are experiencing homelessness. Currently 73% of youth who access AMP identify as LGBTQIA2S+ and 47.3% identify as BIPOC. AMP recognizes that these percentages tell the story of systemic racism and homophobia that have a massive impact on why people experience homelessness Over the past 28 years AMP has been able to provide thousands of youth with music and art resources that help to heal trauma while being supported by a large community of compassionate and dedicated volunteer artists and musicians. Through partnerships with youth service providers AMP has been able to ensure a generation of young people have access to these vital tools to move through trauma. This model of utilizing volunteer support from musician and artist communities has been a staple in how AMP has supported youth experiencing homelessness. Valuing communication skills, emotional development, self-expression, skill-building, and the ability to use art and music as a resource for healing trauma is at the root of all AMP activities. At AMP we recognize that a strong community builds support systems that help youth navigate out of homelessness. We also recognize that to build strong communities we must utilize trauma-informed care that acknowledges and empowers underrepresented BIPOC and LGBTQ2SIA+ members in the homeless communities. AMP provides music and art services five times per week including: Individual music instruction Art lessons/workshops (Ceramic/Poetry/Photography/Film/Silk Screening/Painting) Professional recording studio Performance opportunities Live sound and recording engineering training Group jam sessions Arts and culture events (museums, gallery, concert and theater outings) Meal services Hygiene and first aid support Referrals to housing, drug and alcohol treatment, and mental health support agencies Through our community partnerships with Youth Industry, Audio Cinema, School of Rock, SMYRC, HomePlate, New Avenues for Youth, NW Noggin, IMpower United and p:ear we have been able to provide engagement opportunities and music and art education during 12pm-9pm when there are no services available to homeless youth in downtown Portland. For the past 28 years AMP has functioned primarily as a volunteer organization. To meet the growing needs of youth experiencing homelessness in Portland and to offer more services AMP is working to engage compassionate community members to help offer a deeper pool of resources and opportunities. In 2022 AMP expanded our music and art education, food services, mental health resources, hygiene, and housing referrals for the Portland area’s homeless youth population ages 15-25 by over 200%. By expanding our programming to five sessions a week, at four hours of education and engagement per day, AMP works to provide crucial safety nets in programming hours left open by Portland’s homeless youth service providers and host indoor spaces where youth can build community, music and art education and self worth. Our team of over 30 + volunteers will provide over 50 volunteer hours weekly, and we expect to serve over 60 youth per week this year. AMP’s mobile outreach team provides music and art programming at youth service agencies, municipal parks, and urban camping sites. As our volunteer pool of professional musicians, artists, educators and other community members expands, AMP will continue to expand resources to youth. For a majority of the youth AMP engages with, simply identifying that they possess the potential to play an instrument or make art is often a world away. We recognize that identifying potential will spark interest, and interest sparks self-education, so to do that we provide trauma informed education that simply works to have youth recognize potential within themselves. For all AMP youth “education trauma” is a real factor, so we utilize youth-designed and led activities to work at their pace and comfort level. Through our recording studio programs, individual lessons, jam sessions, cultural outings, AMP radio activities and drop-in space events AMP works to support youth in their journey to heal trauma through music and art. AMP’s philosophy is rooted in providing resources to marginalized and underrepresented artists and individuals that will allow youth to build the tools to heal from trauma and express themselves creatively through art and music. AMP's commitment to youth experiencing homelessness is best represented by AMP’s board president Nick Woo, who was the first youth to be mentored at AMP 28 years ago. He is currently a technical artist for Meta/FaceBook, and has served as the equity and inclusion board leader for Lykia Studios. “I know first hand the importance of having community and the space to express myself through art and music. AMP helped to guide me through the overwhelming challenges of being homeless” - Nick Woo