Rapper, Poet & Storytelling Artist (Volunteer)

Rapper, Poet & Storytelling Artist (Volunteer)

PromiseStudios | Music, Poetry, Spoken Word & Transformative Storytelling

Organization: Mentor A Promise (MAP)

Division: PromiseStudios

Location: Remote with NYC-based collaboration as needed

Commitment: Approximately 5–10 hours per week

Type: Volunteer Creative Role

Minimum Commitment: 6-month commitment required

Reports To: Chief of Content & Storytelling

About Mentor A Promise

Mentor A Promise (MAP) is a New York City–based nonprofit organization serving children and youth experiencing housing instability through mentorship, literacy, social-emotional learning, educational enrichment, workforce development, creative opportunity, advocacy, housing innovation, and community-centered support.

We believe every child deserves to know that their voice matters, their story matters, and their future matters.

Through creative expression, storytelling, and the arts, MAP helps young people discover confidence, belonging, purpose, and possibility.

About PromiseStudios

PromiseStudios is MAP's film, podcast, music, publishing, storytelling, animation, and creative production division.

The division develops original content that educates, inspires, empowers, and amplifies the voices of children, families, mentors, and communities through multiple forms of storytelling.

From documentaries and podcasts to books, performances, and spoken word, PromiseStudios uses creativity to build connection, understanding, and hope.

Role Overview

The Rapper, Poet & Storytelling Artist serves as a creative contributor responsible for developing original music, poetry, spoken word performances, storytelling projects, and youth-centered creative experiences that support MAP's mission.

This role combines lyricism, performance, creative writing, oral storytelling, and artistic expression to help communicate stories of resilience, community, identity, mentorship, healing, belonging, and hope.

Working closely with PromiseStudios, PromiseVoice, PromiseRooted, PromiseConnects, PromisePages, and youth programming teams, this artist helps create meaningful experiences that inspire young people to find and share their own voices.

The ideal candidate understands that storytelling is not simply entertainment—it is a tool for empowerment, education, reflection, and social impact.

Key Responsibilities

Creative Writing & Story Development

• Write original rap lyrics, poetry, spoken word pieces, and storytelling content
• Develop narratives that reflect MAP's mission and community experiences
• Create youth-centered content that inspires confidence and creativity
• Contribute to storytelling projects across multiple media formats
• Support educational and mission-driven creative initiatives

Music, Poetry & Performance

• Perform original rap, spoken word, and poetry pieces
• Participate in recordings, productions, showcases, and community events
• Collaborate on music and storytelling projects
• Help create engaging artistic experiences for youth and families
• Support MAP campaigns through creative performance and storytelling

Youth Engagement & Arts Education

• Participate in creative workshops and enrichment activities
• Encourage youth self-expression through writing, music, poetry, and storytelling
• Help young people develop communication and creative skills
• Foster confidence, imagination, and artistic exploration
• Serve as a positive role model for participants

Storytelling & Media Production

• Collaborate on podcasts, documentaries, videos, books, social media content, and educational projects
• Support PromiseStudios productions and creative campaigns
• Help transform community experiences into meaningful stories
• Contribute to MAP's growing creative content ecosystem
• Strengthen storytelling across platforms and audiences

Community Engagement

• Participate in community events, performances, and special initiatives
• Support fundraising, awareness, advocacy, and public engagement campaigns
• Represent MAP professionally and authentically
• Help build connections through storytelling and artistic expression

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with filmmakers, podcasters, musicians, educators, writers, journalists, and designers
• Support interdisciplinary creative projects
• Strengthen connections between art, education, advocacy, and community impact
• Contribute to the broader vision of PromiseStudios

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in rap, poetry, spoken word, storytelling, music, performance, creative writing, or related artistic disciplines
• Strong writing and storytelling abilities
• Experience creating original artistic work
• Ability to communicate authentically and connect with diverse audiences
• Passion for youth development, education, and social impact
• Strong collaboration and communication skills

Preferred Skills

• Spoken word or poetry performance experience
• Music recording or production experience
• Workshop facilitation or youth mentorship experience
• Podcast, video, or multimedia storytelling experience
• Public speaking and audience engagement skills
• Social media content creation experience

Why This Role Matters

Long before children learn to advocate for themselves, they learn to tell stories.

Long before communities heal, they share their experiences.

Art gives language to emotions.

Poetry gives rhythm to truth.

Storytelling helps people see possibility where others see obstacles.

The Rapper, Poet & Storytelling Artist helps young people discover that their voice has value, their experiences have meaning, and their story deserves to be heard.

Through creativity, this role helps transform expression into confidence, confidence into leadership, and leadership into lasting impact.

Success Measures

• Quality and originality of creative contributions
• Youth engagement and participation
• Development of storytelling and performance projects
• Impact of workshops and creative programming
• Collaboration across PromiseStudios initiatives
• Audience engagement and community connection
• Contribution to MAP's storytelling ecosystem

Volunteer Expectations

• Approximately 5–10 hours per week
• Minimum 6-month commitment
• Maintain timely and professional communication
• Collaborate through MAP systems and communication platforms
• Support MAP's safeguarding standards, mission, and organizational values
• Participate in creative planning meetings, productions, and youth engagement activities

What You'll Gain

• Opportunity to use art and storytelling to create meaningful social impact
• Collaboration with filmmakers, musicians, journalists, podcasters, authors, educators, and creatives
• Portfolio-building projects and public-facing creative work
• Professional references and letters of recommendation
• Experience supporting youth development through the arts
• Meaningful impact supporting children and families experiencing housing instability

How to Apply

Interested candidates should apply directly through Idealist and include their resume, writing samples, performance recordings, portfolio, videos, poetry samples, music samples, or links to previous creative work.

Please highlight experience involving rap, poetry, spoken word, storytelling, music, creative writing, youth engagement, education, performance, or community arts initiatives.

Help children discover the power of creativity, the strength of their voice, and the value of their story.

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with our organization. At this time, volunteer opportunities are limited to individuals based in the United States due to legal, safeguarding, data-privacy, and programmatic requirements. We appreciate your interest in our mission and your understanding of these constraints.