There’s much to be said about overcoming barriers, and Refresh Collective is helping youth and women in both Cincinnati and Cleveland. Refresh Collective is a nonprofit that empowers and educates Cleveland youth using hip-hope as a vehicle.
“Our students learn to powerfully express themselves through rapping, producing, and running a studio together,” explains Refresh Collective artist mentor Kelsey Collins.
The skills youth learn via Refresh Collective teachings them workforce development and life skills, as the students work as a team in the Cleveland storefront screen-printing and selling their original designs to the community. And for more than a decade now, over 9,000 students have been able to write, record, and perform their own music thanks to Refresh Collective.
As part of a larger effort to reach an even greater amount of individuals, Refresh Collective launched Refresh Collective Print Shop + Embroidery in Cincinnati.
“Refresh Collective Print Shop + Embroidery is a recovery-rich environment for women in early sobriety and high school students facing learning barriers to develop rooted connections,” says Collins. “We serve as a workforce development site for them to learn skills to thrive in the workforce. Interns learn the array of commercial tasks that keep our Print Shop operating.”
The inspiration for Refresh Collective and the Print Shop comes from the director and creator’s own struggles with using his voice. Collins says the director, Dee Jay Doc Harrill, found his voice in hip-hop and allowed him to express what he wanted say. “It’s important to understand kids have so much to say and they know what their community needs to change,” adds Collins.
Together, with its locations in Cleveland and Cincinnati, Refresh Collective is able to harness the power of hip-hop music and hand-printed apparel to help young people and women break through barriers and grow through life’s challenges.
There is a team of artists behind Refresh Collective and the Print Shop who want to help local communities. So far, the Print Shop has worked with six women in addiction recovery and five students on alternative paths to graduation.
“Our team of artists in Cincinnati has grown by two, and we hope to see the fruit of that in our programming capabilities next year,” says Collins.
When you shop the Refresh Collective Print Shop, you’ll find fashion-forward apparel and tote bags, embroidered hats and beanies, decorated mugs, and more. Additionally, the Shop can create promotional items such as stickers, business cards, flyers, and more.
All-in-all, the Refresh Collective is more than just a print shop. “We run a workforce development program out of our shop in Lower Price Hill,” says Collins. “Within our programming, Refresh Collective fosters a culture where women have the space and opportunity to process their daily experiences in a safe, inclusive environment while learning viable workforce skills.”
Collins says that what makes Refresh Collective a unique organization is its core values: mindfulness, love, responsibility, respect, helpfulness, honesty, friendship, and trust. “We are a foundation of family,” she adds.
The family aspect of the Refresh Collective Print Shop comes from the organization’s work with students from Cincinnati Public Schools’ Dater and West high Schools.
We are wrapping up our first semester long workforce development program with students from Cincinnati Public Schools, Dater High School and Western Hills University High School. Throughout the semester, the students would visit the Refresh Collective Print Shop everyday the week for job training.
“Before we start each shift we check-in with ourselves and discuss how we are feeling followed by a gratitude circle to get our minds ready for a positive work and school day,” explains Collins. “We asked the students to come up with a design that best represented what is important to them: family was number one.”
It only took a few weeks in the shop before everyone became a family and supported each other through the ups and downs of life while providing encouragement for personal goals as well as support through healing and bad days.
“Every kid deserves a chance to live a successful, rewarding, fulling life after graduating high school,” says Collins.
Refresh Collective and the Print Shop will continue its mission throughout 2022. Currently, the organization is working on funding for a brand new iMac computer lab at the Cincinnati location. The lab will give members of the Refresh Collective community the opportunity to further their education with the help mentors and staff.
To learn more about Refresh Collective and the Print Shop, visit refreshcollective.org. You can also follow Refresh Collective and the Print Shop on Instagram or click here to donate to their mission.
