A creative space for youth recently opened in the basement of a church in west Charlotte. The space has been transformed to expose teens to technology, including 3D printers, a podcast room, video production and an entrepreneurship program.
People typically go to church to worship and fellowship. Yet, in Shiloh Institutional Baptist Church, the organization “Do Greater Charlotte” has renovated the church's basement to nourish another side — creativity among young people. Inside what’s called the Do Greater Charlotte’s CRTV (Creative) Lab of about 8,000 square feet, a music production class is underway.
Amariya Brinson, who attends Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology, is part of the class. She said the spot has helped not only with technical skills but communication skills as well.
“How it be more social, and how to like interact with people more,” Brinson said.
Jaiden Ellis, 14, also attends the lab. He’s part of a 10-week entrepreneurship program connecting teens to professionals from various industries such as music, business and fashion. He said this exposure will help him navigate his future.
“I kind of get a small taste of the real world. I ask them questions on how easy it was and maybe any tips on how to start your business from scratch,” Ellis said. “And a question I like to ask them is, ‘Do you think it would have been easier starting off young or older?’ And it kind of helps me understand where I am and where I need to be.”
Kelsey Van Dyke heads up the lab's educational programs as the director of Educational Innovation and Technology. She said they focus on middle to high schools federally assigned to support low-income students.
“We’re really focused on our Title I schools on the west side of Charlotte as our primary audience,” Van Dyke said. “So, when we are marketing and advertising the programs, we start with them and the relationships we’ve formed with teachers and principals at our west side schools and then expand out from there.”
William McNeely is the founder and CEO of Do Greater Charlotte and a double lung transplant survivor. He launched his organization in 2017 while dealing with his health challenges. McNeely said he created this venture with particular students in mind.
“Really provided access and exposure to underserved, under-resourced communities around technology,” McNeely said. “Technology and skills that we thought was needed to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skill sets.”
Before the lab opened, McNeely provided this service through the Mobile CRTV Lab, a renovated Lance cookie truck. The wheels were in motion in 2019, and the truck was equipped with iPads, TV monitors and computers. It served different neighborhoods in west Charlotte. However, the handbrake on the truck was put into use when the pandemic swept in.
“COVID was extremely impactful for us because, obviously, our model was built around putting 15 kids in the back of a truck at the same time and teaching,” McNeely said.
Despite the blip COVID-19 caused to the organization’s efforts, he said the pandemic offered an opportunity to reshape their approach.
“Then our thoughts were, how do we literally start to build physical spaces for creativity?” McNeely said. “So, it gave us this opportunity to kind of enhance our creative platform and think more longterm about how we would come out of the COVID environment stronger.”
McNeely grew up on the west side of Charlotte and attended Shiloh Institutional Baptist Church. He reached out to the church to revitalize the vacant space. The lab was designed to meet the different needs in the area. The space also has other spots that can be co-working spaces through memberships.
Do Greater Charlotte also provides a full-service coffee shop available to the community in one section of the lab. At the counter and awaiting her caramel iced latte was Simone Atkins-Bostic. She said the area offers a place where different generations can interact.
“There’s a lot of space for adults, but I think including kids is really important, just to give them an outlet,” Bostic said.
Do Greater Charlotte’s CRTV (Creative) Lab is at 2400 Greenland Ave. Coffee is available weekdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. McNeely said a longterm goal is to replicate the lab in different areas along the city’s corridors of opportunity.