Photo by Ebru Yildiz

WBEZ reports that Kanye West's nonprofit Donda's House has launched a free music writing program with the goal of helping at-risk Chicago youth. "Got Bars?" is aimed at students between 15 and 24, and it'll include lessons on how to write and record music. Rhymefest, co-founder of Donda's House and contributing writer on Yeezus, will be among the instructors. Students can apply until August 2.

The program will be based out of St. Sabina's Church, and in addition to including creative writing and music components, there will also be a focus on health and wellness. According to Donda's House executive director Donnie Smith in an interview with Jet, a former professional football player will teach students about individual fitness plans, nutrition, and yoga.

In the Jet interview, Rhymefest and Smith emphasized that they targeted the 15-24 demographic because, according to Smith, "If you look at individuals who perpetuate violence in the city, that’s the age range." He also noted that few programs focus on that demographic. When asked if "it's too late to turn someone around by that age," Smith responded:

We think that 15 to 24-year-olds…they are in the most need of help. We want to get kids in high school, that young adult age range who are confused about where they are in life. We want to give them direction… so many people have just given up on that demographic. And I would add that Dr. Donda West was passionate about the high school dropout rate. We want to be working to help with that at the younger age of that spectrum.

Donda's House eventually plans to make it a national program.

Here's Kanye West doing "New Slaves", which features a songwriting credit from Rhymefest: