The Motivational Edge

Last week at summer camp, our youth enjoyed a special BBQ thanks to the generosity of our Advisory Board Co-Chair, Samantha Scalzo! ☀️🍔

From great food to funny conversations, it was a wonderful way to bring everyone together and celebrate summer. Thank you, Samantha, for investing in our young people and helping make camp even more memorable! 💛

If you want to volunteer or get involved at the Miami Campus, reach out to Kristal Taffe at [email protected].

community

We were honored to welcome Belissa Alvarez, Director of The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation/Related Philanthropic Foundation, and Jacki Altman, Senior Manager of Community Impact at The Miami Foundation, to The Edge!

During their visit, they had the opportunity to tour our campus, meet our incredible young people, and see firsthand how the power of arts, mentorship, and education is transforming lives every day.

Through the support of partners like the Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation and The Miami Foundation, we are able to create safe spaces where youth can discover their talents, build confidence, and develop the skills needed to thrive.

Thank you for taking the time to experience our work up close and for your continued investment in the young people and communities we serve. Together, we are creating opportunities, inspiring futures, and helping the next generation reach their full potential.

🎨🎶 BIG SUMMER NEWS! 🎶🎨

This summer, The Edge is bringing Music & Art Workshops to the Treasure Coast and Space Coast, reaching more than 300 young people through creativity, self-expression, and mentorship.

Through Lyrical Expression, music production, visual arts, recording, and more, youth will have the opportunity to discover their talents, build confidence, and connect with caring adults who believe in their potential.

This summer is especially meaningful as we prepare to celebrate our 18th Birthday on June 30th. For nearly two decades, we’ve used the arts to help young people overcome challenges, find their voice, and create brighter futures.

Thank you to our partners, supporters, teaching artists, and the communities that continue to make this work possible. Here’s to another summer of impact and 18 years of impacting young lives through the power of the arts.

to 2017 when Alexander Star and Lakshmi Lola Ruiz hosted a phenomenal Lyrical Expression workshop with youth from the Florida Youth Leadership Academy.

Lakshmi Ruiz, Alexander Star and others guided youth at this year’s , a program of Florida Department of Children and Families and Connected By 25 that gives the opportunity to learn lyrical expression and spoken word. As they learn to express themselves effectively, they develop the confidence they need to grow into the next generation of leaders.

Please help us wish a HUGE Happy Birthday to Kristal Taffe! 🎉

Today we celebrate someone who is so much more than our Campus Manager and Director of Education at The Edge.

Kristal is a mentor, advocate, role model, and a source of strength for so many young people and families. For many of our youth, she is a trusted mother figure, someone who listens, encourages, supports, and helps them see their potential.

Whether she’s guiding a student through a challenge, supporting a family in need, or helping lead our team, Kristal brings compassion, dedication, and heart to everything she does. Her impact reaches far beyond our campus walls and can be seen in the lives she touches every single day.

Thank you, Kristal, for your unwavering commitment to our mission and for being such an important part of our family. We are grateful for you and all that you do.

Please join us in wishing Kristal a very Happy Birthday!

When Schools Are Closed, The Edge Is Open.

This Summer, we’re once again opening our doors at the Allapattah Campus so every young person has somewhere to belong, learn, and grow.
No child should spend their summer without purpose.

🎨 Creative Arts
📚 Academic Support
🏆 Leadership
🌱 Life Skills

June 8 – August 7, 2026 | Ages 6–17
Spots are filling fast, so don’t wait!

📧 [email protected]
📞 (786) 637-2143
📍 1550 NW 36th St, Miami, FL 33142

We want to extend a HUGE thank you to for purchasing a brand new refrigerator for our Allapattah Campus!

Our Advisory Board heard our needs, and Cristina helped make this happen for us in a big way.

It’s already making an immediate impact on the young people we serve each day by helping us store meals, drinks, snacks, and essentials for our Edge family.

We truly appreciate the continued love, generosity, and support for our mission and the youth we serve!

to an unforgettable partnership between The Edge and during Irie Weekend 2014 in Miami Beach alongside DJ Irie and

What made the experience so special wasn’t just the celebrity presence, it was the genuine love shown to our young people. Jamie Foxx spent real time connecting with the kids, making them laugh, encouraging them, and making each one feel seen and valued.

Moments like these are what The Edge is all about, exposing youth to positive experiences, inspiring role models, and opportunities that leave a lasting impact.

Forever grateful to , the Irie Foundation and everyone who helped make it happen. ❤️🙌🏽

Throwback to over 8 years ago when what is now The Edge’s Miami Campus was a burnt-down dollar store sitting abandoned in the heart of Allapattah.

Most people saw a damaged building. We saw potential. We saw young people who deserved a safe, creative space to grow, heal, learn, and discover their voice.

Today, it is home to music, art, mentorship, academic support, life skills, entrepreneurship, and trauma-informed youth development serving thousands of young people over the years.

Even the back field transformed from a space where illegal activity once took place into a turf field and outdoor wellness space now inspiring young lives every single day.

This transformation took vision, grit, partnerships, artists, staff, volunteers, and a whole lot of belief in what was possible.

Sometimes the greatest impact starts in places others gave up on.