Art with a Heart's Heartworks' program provides kids workforce development

A local nonprofit, Art with a Heart, says it's working tirelessly to create a workforce development program for young people in Baltimore.

They're doing it through their love of the arts and their five-week Heartworks program.

"It's a way to be creative, a way to share your ideas. For me, I've been doing art all my life," says Sharron Daniels, a student at Heartworks.

Summer days for 19-year-old Daniels include leaning into her passion for creating art, all while getting ready for the next chapter in her life, adulthood.

"While they think they're having fun, they're just doing art every day, they are learning job skills and job readiness to take them into their future careers," said Kristina Harlee, social enterprise manager at Art with the Heart.

Years ago, Harlee once filled these seats as a student in the Heartworks program.

"It taught me small skills that I didn't know I would need in the future because I think when you're in this age, you do a lot of passive things and you think I'm not going to need this, but it helped me actually secure a job here eight years later," said Harlee.

Students are learning resume building, mock interview skills, and team building exercises, all while doing art because expressing themselves through their passion is key.

"We spend a lot of time focusing on art as a way to express yourself. For it to be taken out of schools, it makes me very sad because a lot of young people need a way to express themselves. A lot of times they don't have anyone to talk to or they feel like the world is on their shoulders and I feel like art is a time where you can sit down and express yourself and release," said Harlee.

"It is a great experience where you can get paid just to do art, and not a lot of people have the opportunity," said Daniels.

Art with a Heart is hosting Shop and Bop, an event where Heartwork's students will be selling the art they've worked on over the past five months.

The open house and art sale will be at Art with a Heart on August 16 from 5 - 7:30 p.m.