MCCM serves San Diego’s Mid-City neighborhoods through the following programs:

Juvenile Court and Community Schools (JCCS)
Daily in-school arts and music workshops for youth who are wards of the court, have been referred by social services, are on probation, are pregnant and/or parenting, live in foster care, have been expelled from other public schools, are chronically truant, are experiencing homelessness, or who live in group homes for abused children.

Instrument Instruction
Low cost or private lessons both in JCCS sites and at MCCM headquarters. These weekly one-on-one lessons focus on developing technical proficiency as well as the skills needed to build skills and confidence in playing chosen instruments.

Community Concerts
Quarterly, MCCM partners with local arts center Queen Bee’s to host a community concert in which performance students collectively put on a show for the public. Performances include showcases from teaching artists, teen and adult performance workshops, and private lesson students. These concerts also allow for art display and merchandise sales opportunities for MCCM art and entrepreneur courses. Most importantly, performance opportunities build confidence, self-esteem, and a sense of pride on both an individual and community level.

Mid-City Entrepreneurs
MCCM’s most recent offering is a teen Entrepreneur program for San Diego’s urban youth. The program consists of training students to make graphic art on their phone, turn that art into branded merchandise like t-shirts and mugs, and sell it through their online stores. MCCM’s merchandise partner prints and ships the products to customers directly with no upfront costs for the students who are learning valuable marketing and finance skills that will stay with them wherever their careers take them.