The Renaissance Youth Center is a Bronx-based nonprofit founded in 2001 with the mission "to empower at-risk inner city youth to fully maximize their potential as productive and responsible members of society, by offering dynamic, team-building education, music, and sports programs, while instilling the importance of building strong communities." Renaissance serves more than 3,000 youths per week at their headquarters and more than 30 public schools in New York City. History Founded in 2001 as Renaissance Education, Music & Sports (Renaissance-EMS), Renaissance Youth Center offers a variety of programs in education, music, sports, and civic engagement. Renaissance was co-founded by Bervin Harris and Darren Quinlan to serve the Bronx's Morrisania neighborhood. Harris was a former recording artist with Orpheus/Capitol Records, while Quinlan was a former NCAA Division 1 college basketball player at St. Bonaventure University, and songwriter who won the 1992 Abe Olman Scholarship from the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Harris and Quinlan helped produce KRS-One's album Spiritual Minded. Key Programs Music On Wheels Music On Wheels brings music teachers and curriculum to schools that no longer have music programs for more than 30 public schools in New York City. Renaissance holds an annual Music On Wheels Recital where hundreds of students from New York City gather to perform for family and friends. Music With A Message Band The Music With A Message Band is a 25-member performance group, aged 6–21, that write songs about social issues and perform throughout New York City. The band has performed at Good Morning America, Carnegie Hall, the Women in the World Summit at Lincoln Center, the Apollo Theater, the New School, and the City Parks Foundation. In 2016, they opened Mayor Bill de Blasio's 2016 State of the City address at the Lehman Center for the Performing Arts. In 2018, the band performed with Robin Roberts on Good Morning America, and in 2019, they performed a cover of Lupita Nyong'o's "Sulwe's Song", with Lupita Nyong'o surprising the band by showing up in-person to the Renaissance Youth Center to sing the song with the band. Renaissance Youth Council In 2014, Renaissance's Youth Council spent eight hours painting Unity Park a pink salmon color, only to have the NYC Parks Department paint over their work because the youth group permit only allowed them to use a gray color. After media attention and months of discussions, Renaissance partnered with the Parks Department to repaint the park.