Walk around LA and you'll notice that litter and lack of recycling is a big problem - especially in low income neighborhoods.

Why?

We believe The root cause of this problem is a lack of educational resources, knowledge and engagement around this issue in the local community. 

The Solution

We’re launching a program that will empower Los Angeles youth to CHIME IN about how they want their communities to look, feel and yes –CHANGE. This program will not only inspire youth to address at their own littering and over consumption habits, but will also give them tools and education they need to create change in their neighborhoods.

Chimes for Change is a multi-media art, music and science program in which LA teens use recycled and found materials to create wind chimes. Participants learn how to use digital software to record their chimes, and turn those sounds into electronic music compositions. Finally, both visual and audio art works are publicly displayed to create a digitally-mapped, scavenger hunt-style interactive experience to engage participants in sustainability issues impacting the community. 

This program blends hands-on building experience with education in digital and technological realms. It also asks students to attend neighborhood council meetings where they will learn how to impact local policy decisions around littering and recycling.

The Details

All funds go to support our next Chimes for Change program, which begins January 2017 in collaboration with Larchmont High School. 

BUDGET

Why Wind Chimes? 

1)    Any Material is a Good Material: wind chimes can be made out of anything. They inspire creative thinking because they can be imagined in almost any shape out of any bit of refuse. Everything around you becomes fodder for your wind chime, and you begin to see the world in a whole new way.  

2)    Visual and Sonic Blend: to make a wind chime you must have an understanding of both visual and sonic art. Creating wind chimes gives students a well-rounded education about a variety of themes, from industrial design skills and technology to music composition and the science of sound. 

3)    Nature is Necessary: By definition, wind chimes require an act of nature—wind—to achieve their full potential. And that’s really what RuckusRoots is about. We are about empowering and inspiring youth to get out in nature, become advocates for nature, the environment and sustainability, and we do that through the most inspirational educational tools we can think of: art and music.