About The Brainiac Project Inc.
Overview:
The Brainiac Project Inc. (TBP) is a Chicago-Based program founded by Dr. Jabari (Naledge) Evans in 2012 in partnership with Little Black Pearl Art and Design High School. TBP, at its core, a design-based research project. Our research team works with mentors, students, families, and other practitioners to better understand the impact of Hip-Hop Based education initiatives and learning environments on youth, educators, organizations, and communities, identifying critical practices and informing iterations of the TBP model. Current research questions include:
The Brainiac Project has three main initiatives:
-Artist in Residence Program
-Open Sessions (Recording Studio Experiences)
-Brainiac Professional Development (Songwriter & Beat-making Workshop and In-Studio Speaker Series)
Publications:
Articles
Evans, J. M. (2022). Exploring Social Media Contexts for cultivating connected learning with Black Youth in Urban Communities: the case of Dreamer Studio. Qualitative Sociology, DOI: 10.1007/s11133-022-09514-6.
Evans, J.M. & Baym, N.K. (2022) The Audacity of Clout(chasing):Digital Strategies of Black Youth in Chicago DIY Hip-Hop. International Journal of Communication, 16(22).
Evans, J. M. (2022). We (MOSTLY) Carry Guns for the Internet: Visibility Labor, Social Hacking and Chasing Digital Clout by Black Male Youth in Chicago’s Drill Rap Scene. Journal of Global Hip Hop Studies, 1(2), 227–47.
Evans, J. M. (2021). Reframing civic education through hip-hop artistic practices: an empowerment and equity based learning model for black adolescents. Pedagogy, Culture & Society. DOI: 10.1080/14681366.2021.1952294
Evans, J. M. (2020). Connecting Black youth to critical media literacy through hip hop making in the music classroom. Journal of Popular Music Education, 4(3), 277-293.
Evans, J. M. (2019). ’Deeper Than Rap’: Cultivating Racial Identity and Critical Voice Through Media Production: The Case of Chicago’s Foundations of Music. Journal of Media Literacy Education. 11(3), 1-24.
Book Chapters
Evans, J. M. (2022). "It's Bigger Than Hip-Hop:" The Socio-Emotional Effect of Media Making Within Music Education on Black Youth.” In Bonnette-Bailey. L. M. & Belk, A. (Eds.), For The Culture: Hip-Hop and the Fight for Social Justice (Chapter 3). Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.
Evans, J. M. (2022) Connecting Black Youth to Critical Media Literacy Through Student-Driven Hip-Hop Songwriting in the Music Classroom. In Powell, B. & Smith, G. D. (Eds.) Places and Purposes of Popular Music Education: Perspectives from the Field. Bristol, United Kingdom: Intellect Books
For more information on this program go to www.brainiacproject.org, and to donate or contact the organization, please see below:
*This project is partially supported by an Individual Artists Program Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events and Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.
The Brainiac Project Inc. (TBP) is a Chicago-Based program founded by Dr. Jabari (Naledge) Evans in 2012 in partnership with Little Black Pearl Art and Design High School. TBP, at its core, a design-based research project. Our research team works with mentors, students, families, and other practitioners to better understand the impact of Hip-Hop Based education initiatives and learning environments on youth, educators, organizations, and communities, identifying critical practices and informing iterations of the TBP model. Current research questions include:
- 1. How do we understand and represent learning and participation in informal creative (including online) environments and over time?
- 2. What are the generative practices and supports within those environments that cultivate that learning and participation, including youth production, interests, and identity development?
- Can self-expression through digital media in informal learning cultures of Black and brown youth be formally leveraged for them to better discover and sustain pathways of economic opportunity?
- How does race, class and gender mitigate the successful transition of Black youth into Creative, Cultural and Entertainment careers?
The Brainiac Project has three main initiatives:
-Artist in Residence Program
-Open Sessions (Recording Studio Experiences)
-Brainiac Professional Development (Songwriter & Beat-making Workshop and In-Studio Speaker Series)
Publications:
Articles
Evans, J. M. (2022). Exploring Social Media Contexts for cultivating connected learning with Black Youth in Urban Communities: the case of Dreamer Studio. Qualitative Sociology, DOI: 10.1007/s11133-022-09514-6.
Evans, J.M. & Baym, N.K. (2022) The Audacity of Clout(chasing):Digital Strategies of Black Youth in Chicago DIY Hip-Hop. International Journal of Communication, 16(22).
Evans, J. M. (2022). We (MOSTLY) Carry Guns for the Internet: Visibility Labor, Social Hacking and Chasing Digital Clout by Black Male Youth in Chicago’s Drill Rap Scene. Journal of Global Hip Hop Studies, 1(2), 227–47.
Evans, J. M. (2021). Reframing civic education through hip-hop artistic practices: an empowerment and equity based learning model for black adolescents. Pedagogy, Culture & Society. DOI: 10.1080/14681366.2021.1952294
Evans, J. M. (2020). Connecting Black youth to critical media literacy through hip hop making in the music classroom. Journal of Popular Music Education, 4(3), 277-293.
Evans, J. M. (2019). ’Deeper Than Rap’: Cultivating Racial Identity and Critical Voice Through Media Production: The Case of Chicago’s Foundations of Music. Journal of Media Literacy Education. 11(3), 1-24.
Book Chapters
Evans, J. M. (2022). "It's Bigger Than Hip-Hop:" The Socio-Emotional Effect of Media Making Within Music Education on Black Youth.” In Bonnette-Bailey. L. M. & Belk, A. (Eds.), For The Culture: Hip-Hop and the Fight for Social Justice (Chapter 3). Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.
Evans, J. M. (2022) Connecting Black Youth to Critical Media Literacy Through Student-Driven Hip-Hop Songwriting in the Music Classroom. In Powell, B. & Smith, G. D. (Eds.) Places and Purposes of Popular Music Education: Perspectives from the Field. Bristol, United Kingdom: Intellect Books
For more information on this program go to www.brainiacproject.org, and to donate or contact the organization, please see below:
*This project is partially supported by an Individual Artists Program Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events and Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.
