Inaugural Pearl Fest Jazz Festival at Oakwood/39th Street Beach Sponsored By The Digital Youth Network

CHICAGO - On Saturday, August 22nd The Digital Youth Network (DYN) and Little Black Pearl (LPB) are teaming up for a day of music and education for Chicago’s youth. The inaugural Pearl Fest Jazz Festival will take place from 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. at Oakwood/39th Street Beach with an eclectic mix of nationally acclaimed Jazz and R&B artists Oleta Adams, Jaguar Wright, Jose James and special surprise guests led by Music Director and two-time Grammy winner Terri Lyne Carrington with her Mosaic Project. Little Black Pearl is celebrating over twenty years of enriching youth, families and communities through the arts and education. Programs and services offered by the organization have helped to shape the minds and spirits of thousands of youth. LBP’s lakefront Pearl Fest Jazz Festival incorporates a mixture of live musical entertainment, sports event, food, fun and activities for Chicago’s elite and trendy. This is the first event of this caliber and scale for a Chicago Park District venue, expecting 10,000 attendees. It is destined to be on par with International Jazz Festivals hosted around the world. DYN and Destination: Chicago provide leadership and technical assistance for Chicago City of Learning (CCOL), a citywide infrastructure that joins together learning opportunities for young people in a way that allows them to think about, pursue and develop their interests. Mentors travel the city to provide youth with opportunities to pursue their passions with the support of caring adult mentors and innovative uses of technology. The Destination: Chicago van will be on-site to provide educational workshops for all who are attending. The van is staffed by Best Buy employees who will be hosting activities and product demonstrations throughout the day including: MaKey-MaKey Invention Kit - These kits allow you to create your own video game controller or piano out of household objects like bananas or aluminum foil, and also teach families about the conductivity of their bodies, as well as how simple circuits work. Fun and attention grabbing. WowWee MiP Robot - A robot that drives, dances, battles, balances, plays games, with an easy to use interface. Samsung VR Gear - Immerses the wearer in a 360° video environment, allowing them to explore new worlds, be on-stage for a performance or enjoy gaming from a new perspective. Oakwood/39th Street Beach is located at 1199 E Oakwood Blvd, Chicago, IL 60653. For more information about the Pearl Fest Jazz Festival and the musical line-up or to purchase tickets, please visit http://blackpearl.org/events/pearl-fest/. About The Digital Youth Network Digital Youth Network (DYN) at DePaul University seeks to engage a broad and geographically diverse group of youth, parents, community-based organizations, institutions, and city agencies in the effort to transform the city into a learning platform by providing rich learning experiences to youth in multiple spaces. DYN is committed to closing the opportunity gap for young people in Chicago and has a successful track record of working within schools, libraries, museums and other formal and informal learning spaces in Chicago to provide youth with opportunities to pursue their passions with the support of caring adult mentors and innovative uses of technology. DYN provides leadership and technical assistance for Chicago City of Learning (CCOL), a citywide infrastructure that joins together learning opportunities for young people in a way that allows them to think about, pursue, and develop their interests. CCOL breaks down the false barriers between learning that happens in school and learning that happens outside of school. Through CCOL young people can take new paths of discovery, explore the city's rich resources and find out what they can learn, make, do, and ultimately become. About Little Black Pearl LBP works diligently to counter the challenges urban youth face by providing a safe environment, positive role models, and rigorous program and skill development activities and opportunities. Our 18-year history has successfully proven that it is possible to marry art and entrepreneurship through real life application of talent, interest and skills. At Little Black Pearl, youth feel safe and open to exploring, expressing and challenging their ideas and feelings through art. The combination of art and business bring out innate talents and shows youth the value of their work. They learn lifelong skills; enhance their self-esteem and benefit from the sale of their art. A wide array of works of art created by youth in programs and workshops provided by Little Black Pearl are available for purchase through the Art and Design Center.