Follow Your Dreams Buy A Brick Campaign

Follow Your Dreams, Inc. (FYD) is a grassroots not-for-profit organization that assists underserved youth in the Harwood neighborhood of North Central Baltimore City. The primary goal of FYD is to engage at-risk youth in meaningful activities that promote development of critical thinking and decision-making skills that can be used to build a productive future. FYD youth programs are unique—they are formed from the minds of young people eager to be heard using media arts as their primary tool. Our mission is to empower youth by providing enrichment activities in a safe learning environment where they can express themselves through music, video, and internet projects that will help develop marketable skills through arts-based media technology with the assistance of skilled mentors.

In 2008 the Follow Your Dreams Youth & Technology Center was struggling just to pay the rent. A 70's party/fundraiser was held, and the turnout was tremendous. The fundraiser helped to keep FYD from closing. But now, this row-home that has been a safe haven for at-risk youth in Harwood for over a decade, is being put up for sale. FYD must either purchase the property or vacate.

Our overall goal is to raise $50,000 which would allow us to purchase the building and make necessary renovations. But time is of the essence! So we set up this Kickstarter campaign to help raise 25% of the $29,900 purchase price. This amount is not only a good-faith down payment on the row-home, but an investment in the future of this neighborhood. With your help, dozens of young people will have a safe place to go after school. And by branding Follow Your Dreams Recordings, we may actually find a way to launch their careers.

This project was created by youth with FYD's founder Michelle Blue guiding them as their adult ally. The center is the home of Baltimore's 1st totally peer run recording studio! And today, the Hip Hop Business Program is a one of the most popular attractions of FYD's programming. This facility means so much to so many young people here in North Central Baltimore. With the outright purchase of this facility our positive impact on this challenged community will continue for generations to come.