ABOUT ARS
who we are
A Revolutionary Summer is led by a team of local educators and artists with decades of experience executing high-quality, specialized youth programming. We work with and advocate for Baltimore youth in our every day, full-time roles and come together each summer to use our skills, talents, and deep love of Black children to deliver ARS.
who we serve
From 2015-2024, ARS served Black girls ages15+. Beginning in Summer 2026, we will extend our programming to include Black boys. ​Black children and youth ages 15-24 living in Baltimore City of all identities and experiences are encouraged to apply.
what young people do when they're with us
On select days throughout the summer, participants gather in small and large groups to discuss, experience, and create literature and art.
Whole group reading workshops are held on Sundays. Each begins with a yoga class, where participants are challenged to experience their bodies in unfamiliar, soothing, and healing ways. Following yoga, they eat a nutritious meal and transition to opening circle, where they work on learning and connecting with each other before deeply examining the week’s featured text. All Sunday workshops conclude with a closing circle, designed for individual and collective reflection.
Writing workshops are held during the week and take two shapes—large group craft workshops and small group coaching sessions. Both are led by local Black writers and designed to help participants improve their self-trust and -esteem right alongside their writing skills.
In addition to actively participating in reading and writing workshops, participants are required to attend a (typically overnight) relationship-building retreat and expected to contribute to our end-of- program product/presentation.
what we work to achieve
Our goals remain consistent year to year. How we achieve them shifts according to the needs of our youth participants. Still, we work each summer to ensure that:
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-100% of participants indicate a positive shift in their beliefs, choices and actions, especially as they relate to self-identity.
-100% of participants read and think critically about important books by Black authors.
-100% of participants develop and strengthen their critical and creative writing skills.
-85% of participants participate in the execution of our end-of-summer product/project.
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We expect, plan, and assess for constructive impact on all participants.
how youth transform as a result of ARS
While specific outcomes depend on the particular needs, values, and experiences of participants and the learning community as a whole, in general, we see growth related to each of our program goals.
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1. Youth pa​rticipants who have never read a single text by a Black author read at least five texts by Black authors by program completion.
2. They also become published authors themselves.
3. Youth who have never taken a yoga class or felt its benefits participate in 6-8 yoga classes, often discussing the impact of the classes on their abilities to focus, calm themselves, and process difficult emotions.
4. They gain new appreciation for their brown and dark skin, height, hair texture, features, and body size.
5. They read, write, and think at great depths, and create written and artistic gifts for their communities.
6. They report feeling more comfortable with facing and addressing conflict, challenges, and adversity.
7. They report interacting with other Black youth, Black people, and people in general with more intention and care.
a few things we're proud of
In 2019, ARS featured multi-disciplinary artist Megan Lewis led youth participants through a life-size mural-painting process. The mural, featuring literary giants Octavia Butler, Zora Neale Hurston, and Toni Morrison, is currently on display at New Song Academy in Sandtown.
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In 2020, participants drafted, revised, edited, and published a children’s book called Symone and the Letter, dedicated to children with incarcerated loved ones. Its youth authors can purchase wholesale copies and profit directly from their sale to this day.
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In 2021, ARS published The Manifesto Issue, our second literary magazine, featuring portraits captured by renowned photographer Schaun Champion and gowns designed by founding youth leader Sol Ari. The manifestos were guided to completion in collaboration with local Black women writers.
In 2023, in celebration of eight years of programming, ARS took past participants on an all-inclusive trip abroad to Costa Rica and Panama. We documented our travel in customized journals and an original film.