“I am so grateful for the Plainfield School District 202 Foundation for Excellence and the Horizon Grant for the opportunity to learn and live hip hop this summer,” said Ava Florez, Plainfield North High School senior.
Florez attended the “Illinois Summer Youth Music Hip-Hop” camp at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in July thanks to the Horizon Grant.
“During the week I worked with experienced music hip hop artists and like-minded people my age to create a hip hop song from scratch which we performed at the end of the week in the Canopy Club,” Florez said.
She also attended master classes and listened to lectures from musical experts. “We learned a lot not just about making music but the history behind it and stories about the people who do it,” she said.
“It was a truly incredible experience.”
The Foundation awarded 2024 Horizon Grants to six students to help pay for summer learning enrichment experiences that broaden their academic horizons and explore areas of interest.