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Boise Rock School is hosting a free camp this week for refugees and underprivileged youth.
"My mom, she pays for my basketball and stuff, and so she was like, 'Well, Leiyani, I don't know if it's free, so I don't know if you can do it,' but I was really excited that it was free, because I get to do basketball, and I get to play the guitar," said Leiyani Lincoln, an 11-year-old camp attendee.
From Aug. 5 through Aug. 9, children and teens who have been nominated to attend the camp will convene at the Boise Rock School facility from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
By teaching kids like Lincoln the value of resilience through: "that fail fail fail succeed sort of experience," said Ryan Peck, Managing Director at Boise Rock School. "There's a lot of growth, there's a lot of big issues coming down the pipeline: affordable housing, transportation, things like that. If we can be growing a generation of creative entrepreneurs that have that resilience-- they're likely going to help solve those problems."
Lincoln could be one of those people.
"I kind of just wanna be my own artist. I like being original," said Lincoln.
She's learning the basics alongside refugees and underprivileged kids.
"I know some people don't have a lot of money to get to do certain camps and stuff," said Lincoln.
The weeklong camp is hosted by the school's nonprofit organization Rock on Wheels, aimed at providing Idaho youth with music instruction-- regardless of economic status.
Ryan says by empowering kids-- regardless of their socioeconomic status-- he hopes they'll become Boise's next creative entrepreneurs since they'll be less afraid of taking risks.
"It's gonna add to that sort of economic ecosystem, and economic vitality of your city, and make your city way cooler. And more, economically resilient. Right" said Peck.
