Many festivals for students during the summer might help them celebrate not being in school, but at least one festival has a markedly different goal: keeping kids in school.

Versatile's Education is Music 2 Day Festival in Boalsburg features multiple artists all promoting education.

After having success last year hosting the show on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., promoter Carl Ferrell, also known as Versatile, hopes to expand it to other cities.

In expanding the event, Ferrell hopes to bring awareness of his cause to more people, but he will also be able to raise money for different organizations.

Ferrell said his goal for the Boalsburg festival is to bring attention to the youth demographic.

"I wanted to put something together that we could use as a platform that we could identify problems with today's youth and today's young adults," he said.

Because the National Mall is a national park, Ferrell was unable to charge admission under the park's policy and could not raise funds to support his desired causes.

While Ferrell acknowledged that Boalsburg is not a major city, he said he noticed a great potential for education there because of its proximity to Penn State University.

He said that the best way to increase that potential for education is to support it through events such as this.

Staying true to his word, Ferrell has pledged to make a donation from the ticket sales back to education in the community through the African American Support Group, which is located at State College Area High School.

When Whitney Stringer -- the publicist for the event and a State College Area High School graduate -- heard about the club and its goal, she took an interest.

Stringer said choosing the club as the beneficiary was a logical decision.

The group, which is open to everyone, has a goal to "support, and to educate African American students and others alike," said Skyra Blanchard, the club's faculty supervisor.

About 4 years old, the club has a roster that has fluctuated through the years from between nine and 18 actively involved students.

These students work with the Penn State mentors, who focus on building a relationship with the students and supporting them in any way.

In many ways, the mentors also help the students with the doubts and concerns they have about going to college.

Students in the club make an annual trip -- paid for through fundraisers -- on which they typically visit historically black colleges.

However, the club's anticipated trip to Atlanta schools this year did not happen because the fundraisers did not generate enough money.

Where the students left off, Ferrell and his tour picked up.

"It was such an easy match with what we're trying to do in the mission for the show," Stringer said.

Music as a platform

One artist on the bill, Antonia Moss, also known as Her Rhaw'ness, relates particularly with using hip-hop music as a platform to reach youths. Through her lyrics, Rhaw'ness delves into much of her past, an aspect that often connects with audience members dealing with the same issues.

Many of her songs touch on her home life, including her mother's recovery from drug abuse.

After one of her performances during which she played a song that addressed an abusive relationship she left, one fan came up to her visibly upset. Crying, her fan said, "Thank you. I needed to hear that." Rhaw'ness said she felt touched that her message made an impact.

With her fans, Rhaw'ness likes to portray the idea that, if she can make it, they can too, and that a good attitude can greatly impact a person's life.

"We need to have more of a positive influence, because we can make a difference," Rhaw'ness said.

Another issue the performer tries to bring awareness to is materialism, because she said she feels that many hip-hop artists often get caught up on the notion.

"There's more to life in the world than those things," she said.

With her music, Rhaw'ness also tries to address the role of women in hip-hop. She said record companies have denied her because she wouldn't talk about certain things or dress in a "degrading" way.

"I don't think that they're ready for a lot of positive women. I think they're afraid of it," Rhaw'ness said.

She promotes utilizing her talent and not her body to gain success.

"You have to stay a lady. You get more respect that way," she said. "I use my brain and not my body."

Music as positive energy

Tanya Dallas Lewis, an inspirational singer who is scheduled to perform at the event, credited her music as a factor in why she holds herself to a high standard.

"I'm very cognizant of how women are viewed in [the black] community," Lewis said. "Music education ... has given me the desire to be different and rebellious, but in a good way."

Maintaining a positive image, she said, is more than just dressing appropriately. She noted the difficulty for female artists.

"It's way harder for a female artists to break out. Men just have a ticket," Lewis said. "They just don't have to go through the rigmarole that we have to go through."

The struggles of maintaining a positive female image extend to what kinds of jobs Lewis will accept.

"It's more than about money. If it doesn't meet my criteria, then it'll hurt me, but I'll get over it," said Lewis. "It's not worth it."

Lewis said that her education in music taught her more than just notes -- it taught her how to be more outgoing and assertive, which helped her overcome challenges.

She also credited music with helping her avoid some of the troubles her peers faced.

"For me and the kids in my generation, we were right on the cusp of the technology age. We'd have the tendency to give up if something was too hard," she said.

Lewis said her ability to persevere is another product of her music lessons.

"They really motivate you to aim for that level of excellence in everything that you do," she said.

Music as an example

Jo-van Rogers, also known as J-O, from the hip-hop group Grind City, said he too felt the pressure that business often puts on music.

"I love the music, but I hate the politics," J-O said. "You can't get active with it."

J-O said he has felt pressure to change his set list or modify his sound to make his performance more appealing to a given audience.

In the household that J-O grew up in, music wasn't just encouraged, it was required.

He said he remembers, especially on sunny, summer days, how he would have to miss out on fun to practice his instruments, but the knowledge he recieved from music paid off.

To this day, J-O said when he hears someone playing music, he can still pick out what notes are off. He said his education in music also helped with his social skills.

"I can relate to a lot of people," he said.

J-O noted that his unwillingness to give up has helped him more recently in weathering the economic crisis.

"It's called the recession for most of corporate America, but I've been struggling my whole life. I had to fight to get up to everything," he said. "People just fold and say, 'I'm not gonna try it again.' Why stop fighting because this bank said 'No?' "

J-O, who is also very active with community service, acknowledged his influence as an artist.

"Being a visionary, it's our job to be responsible for the future," J-O said.

All the members of Grind City have kids, J-O said, a factor which has definitely had an effect on his music.

"They're sponges. My daughter can understand every word of my album," J-O said. "She'll listen to anyone on the radio and she'll be going and going and going, and when a curse word comes on she goes 'uh, I can't say that.' "

J-O acknowledged that his daughter often copies other role models, such as musicians. Therefore, he makes a point to set a good example, frequently volunteering for local community service groups, and, as a musician, he makes an effort to produce lyrics that are light on foul language.

Lewis agreed with setting this example.

"I woudn't sing about anything my kid couldn't listen to," Lewis said. "You do have to be mindful of your audience."

Along with the copying of popular rap artists' lyrics, many kids copy their style as well, J-O said.

"Young rappers, when they sit down to write a song, they put themselves in a Jay-Z or Lil Wayne voice. How would you say it? You're not Lil Wayne," he said.