Through hands-on music education, creative arts, career exploration, community service, and enrichment opportunities, we create a safe and supportive environment where youth can learn, grow, and thrive. Our programs are designed to inspire creativity, encourage personal responsibility, and help young people envision a brighter future.
We believe every child deserves the opportunity to be heard, valued, and supported. By combining the power of mentorship with the universal language of music, we help youth develop the skills, confidence, and character needed to succeed both in school and in life.
Together with families, volunteers, educators, community leaders, and local partners, we are building stronger youth, stronger families, and a stronger community—one student at a time.
What We Do
Mentoring with Music provides year‑round programming that includes:
- Music & Media Education — audio engineering, music production, live instruments, DJing, songwriting, photography, videography, digital media, and stage performance
- Trauma‑Informed Mentorship — consistent, caring adults who support emotional growth and mental wellness
- STEM & Cultural Exploration — Sonic Science, Rhythms of the World, and hands‑on learning that builds curiosity and global awareness
- Reentry Support for Justice‑Involved Youth — JDC CONNECT provides food, clothing, transportation, school support, job help, and a caring mentor the moment a youth walks out of detention
- Transformative Field Trips — Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Motown Museum, Sweetwater Music, and other iconic music landmarks
- Community Performances & Festivals — youth showcases, concerts, and AMP Fest 2026, where teens run the region’s biggest youth‑powered festival
Every program is free for families in need. No child is ever turned away.
What Motivates Us
Lima’s youth face real challenges — poverty, trauma, instability, academic struggles, and limited access to mental‑health support. Many of our students come to us carrying anxiety, depression, or the weight of difficult home environments.
Music gives them a way to breathe again. Mentorship gives them someone who won’t give up on them. Together, they create a pathway to healing, identity, and long‑term success.
These aren’t just words — they are the heartbeat of Mentoring with Music.
Our Mission
Mentoring with Music’s mission is to give at‑risk and justice‑involved youth a safe place to breathe, belong, and rebuild through the healing power of music, mentorship, and creative expression. We serve a uniquely diverse mix of young people—youth returning from juvenile detention, teens with developmental disabilities or autism, students battling depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts, and kids from every social and economic background.
In our space, no one knows each other’s story—and that’s what makes it work. Music levels the ground. Acceptance breaks down walls. The judgment‑free environment gives every young person a chance to feel seen, valued, and capable again. Through consistent mentorship and trauma‑informed support, youth learn to express themselves, regulate emotions, build confidence, and discover their own worth. Many arrive unable to imagine a future; through creativity and connection, they begin to believe one is possible.
Our mission is to strengthen protective factors, reduce risk, and help young people heal, grow, and move toward a safer, more hopeful future—one they can finally see for themselves.
Our Vision
We envision a community where every young person—regardless of their past, their challenges, or their circumstances—has a safe place to belong, to heal, and to discover their own potential. A community where youth returning from detention, teens with developmental disabilities or autism, young people battling depression or anxiety, and kids from every walk of life can stand side by side, create together, and be valued for who they are.
We imagine a future where music and mentorship open doors that trauma once closed; where creative expression becomes a pathway to emotional wellness; where confidence replaces fear, hope replaces isolation, and every young person can finally see a future worth reaching for.
Our vision is a community transformed by the power of acceptance, connection, and opportunity—one where every young person knows they matter, their voice matters, and their future is possible.
Mentoring with Music 