In an old brick building in the Youngstown neighborhood with colorful pictures of peacocks lining the halls and cheerful, beautiful voices resounding through the halls lives The Power of Hope, an organization that stands for "empowerment through the arts."

The Power of Hope, located at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, is centered on the belief that young people need to be seen and heard and that true social and world change will occur when the voices of young people are developed through the arts.

On this day, students are getting ready to perform a sampling of their spoken words, songs, performances and raps they will perform at the "Hip Hop Youth Expression" at the Northwest Folklife Festival.

The teenagers work directly with adults from a wide variety of socioeconomic and cultures to make a difference through the arts and through expressing themselves.

Michael Harris, 56, the executive director since 2005, says there are five guiding beliefs that form and shape the organization and that everything they do, from the summer weeklong camps to the workshops on writing or the spoken word, helps the teachers express their passion to young people.

The "Hip Hop Hope" program, which is a four day writing and recording program, encourages expression through the creative and written work, eventually ends with a published CD featuring all performers from the program.

Harris says the philosophy is that everyone can be an artist.

Harris comes from an inspirational background. To encourage their children to be fully immersed in the arts, his father moved from Clearwater, Florida, to New York. He sent for Harris's mother, an actress, dancer and songwriter Ann Harris.

The Harris family became well known in "off-off Broadway" productions. Harris was 16 when he was in Charlie, a member of the "tribe" in the Broadway musical "Hair." Harris says his parents gave him the encouragement he needed to be who he was meant to be and his strong belief in working for The Power of Hope is that other young people find their voice.

He says "Hair" gave him a sense of mission and drove him to want to work for the good of people and his background made him believe that children need the nurturing and loving environment to really thrive in the arts. He has worked for non-profits like emergency shelters, Pike Place Medical Clinic and health and human services, but he believes the Power of Hope happened at the right time of his life.

The staff itself, comprising of volunteers, staff and kids, are as diverse as their programs and represents different socioeconomic backgrounds.

"We now have 10 people doing what the original founders did on their own," Harris said.

While there are several non-profit and other arts and cultural organizations at Youngstown, the Power of Hope has main use of the theater.

They also have a small art gallery in which various works of students are featured. Staff includes Harris, Alan Wong, the program manager, Amy Anderson and Estrella P. de Leon, youth voice coordinators.

Harris called the Power of Hope founders visionaries. They are Charlie Murphy is a youth development specialist and recording artist, and Peggy Taylor is a creative development specialist with a masters in creative arts learning. She is also an author, musician and leads many of the heart centered programs with the youth and adults.

Harris now heads an office in Bellingham and another Victoria, B.C.

Harris says he firmly believes in the words of philosopher Howard Zen, "If we want a world at peace, we have to treat every child as if they were your own." He says that, as much as financial support is the glue that holds this organization together. Nobody, including adults who wish to take part in adult programs, is ever turned away because of a lack of ability to pay.

Alan Wong, the 26-year-old program manager, also is a poet, singer, folk and hip hop artist, says the programs are diverse.

"There is singing, drumming and vocal improvisation," he says. "There is no limit to what they can do, as the youth get a chance to discover their authentic and creative voice and express themselves in a positive way. They are encouraged in every way that what they think and feel is valid. That is part of becoming a whole person."

Wong says he felt things had "clicked" for him when he found The Power of Hope. In his studies, he was trying to find something that would connect everything he was learning, like social activism with the ideologies put into practice.

"I grew up in a diverse neighborhood in White Center," he says. "This gives a voice to those who come from diverse backgrounds."

All involved believe if kids are not shut down, there is no limit to what they can do and by expressing their unique gifts, they will be helping society by helping people realize the gifts we all have to contribute and share.

"We are challenging everything from how women are represented to who we really are and the youth can tell their stories through the rap or the music," says Wong.

Amy Anderson, 23, is a pianist who came to Seattle after going to school and growing up in Iowa. She decided that her work with the arts and with youth was something she wanted to combine, so she took a year off to work with Americorp. She says the experience she is getting as a leader with The Power of Hope is helping her combine both her passion for "social change while creating something sustainable for the future."

But the staff at The Power of Hope believes the youth are the ones who give the greatest testament to what they are doing.

Damon Bomar, 16, a singer and has attended "Hip Hop Hope" says "It helps me be outside of the box and break down barriers."

Achil Jackson, a 16-year-old participant from Seattle, is a composer, performer, singer and lyricist.

"I feel that I can be in a creative and comfortable environment and this is a supportive little world in a larger society that is not supportive," she says.

She remembers when she was only five years old and she was trying to sing in a class and the other children were yelling at her for expressing herself. She said that experience was a formative one that shaped why she feels so comfortable at the Power of Hope.

Jackson recently had one of her pieces featured at Benaroya Hall at the Seattle Symphony, an exciting moment for her and her father.

Jackson's father, Nathaniel, says, "The experience has allowed her to follow her muse and to develop her own musical style. It allows her to make her music accessible but powerfully engaging."

Harris says he is thrilled with this feedback.

"There are a lot of opportunities for those who want to bring out what they have. We do not manufacture artists, we simply help them bring out what is already there, already inside of them."

In the organization pamphlet, one student said, "The Power of Hope has ideals that will change the world. It is not a matter of if, it is a matter of when."

Rebekah LaSala is a White Center freelance writer and may be contacted at wseditor@robinsonnews.com