Wacky Rymel is a teenager from the high-crime neighborhood of Hackney, in London. Last year, as part of the government’s initiative to lower crime-rates and make youth feel empowered in their community, they worked with MTV to develop the competition, Good 4 the Hood. Hundreds of young people posted their ideas on MTV’s website, and in the end, Wacky Rymel and his diverse dancing style won. Rymel says he believes a lot of the crime in his neighborhood sprouts from people having nothing better to do. So, he decided to offer free dance classes for kids, ages 13 – 19, who perform for the community and get people involved in activities besides gangs and gun and knife crime.
It doesn’t have to require help from the government or a competition to get students thinking about what they can do for their community. Use this story to get your students thinking about how they can use their skills to make a difference and ask them:
– If there was one cause you could dedicate yourself to, what would it be?- What help would you need to make your dream of helping the community happen?- Imagine if one kid or group from every classroom was dedicated to solving one problem. What are the possibilities to ending problems that plague our society or the world?
To learn more about Wacky Rymel, visit moralheroes.org
