INDIANAPOLIS — Learning confidence through creativity — that was the goal of a local workshop sponsored by the Fight for Life Foundation during the Carmel Rotary Club's Day of Leadership.
On Thursday, Indianapolis east side elementary students from Sankofa School of Success at Arlington Woods School 99 and Carmel High School students came together to create backpacks and memories that leaders told WRTV they hope will last a lifetime.
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Kendrick was one student who participated.
“You have to beat the pirates in basketball, and you have to beat them with the golden basketball, which is their treasure," he explained when we asked about his backpack design.
For him, this day meant a lot.
“My backpack that I have right now, it has, like, a hole in the bottom, so I need a new backpack," he said.
"It feels nice to help somebody out," Braydon, a student at Carmel High School, told us.
Braydon was working with Kendrick to bring his backpack design to life.
“I like coaching and working with younger kids, so it’s nice to get to do that and to be giving back at the same time," he stated.
The members of NITRAM Studios led the event. The collective is a group of young men from urban communities - all of whom left their respective cities to follow their dreams in fashion.
“Designing futures is what we like to advocate for," Chase Martin, one of the members, said with a laugh.
They know what a day like this can mean.
“We didn’t have, maybe, a creative outlet," Paris Jordan, a member of NITRAM Studios and a Carmel High School alum, said. "For us, it was either sports or school. And for me, being a fan of shoes and fashion, like, to give this back and show them that there’s a different way, you can also be creative — you can get into shoes, you can get into art.”
“These kids, they’re wanting to learn something. They got drive and they just need a little push... and we’re that push," Ayub Kamara of NITRAM Studios said.
Their goal is to inspire students and help them understand new avenues of expression through art and creativity.
“We are doing what we love to do, and this right here, being able to show them that there’s an avenue for them to be able to do what they love to do," Martin said.
"I feel like we’re instilling belief and confidence into the kids," Jordan stated. "So they’ll be able to translate it into whatever they choose to do later in life."
“If we are that push for these kids to be confident, do what they wanna do securely and purely, we’ll take everything," Kamara exclaimed.
The students we spoke with said they felt that loud and clear.
"It feels pretty cool," Kendrick said with a smile.
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Casey Zanowic is the In Your Community reporter for North Side Indy. She joined WRTV in July of 2025. Casey has a passion for storytelling and is ready to showcase impactful stories that make a difference in her community. Share your story ideas and important issues with Casey by emailing her at casey.zanowic@wrtv.com.
