DJ club helps Bronx Envision Academy students turn beats into confidence

BRONX (WABC) -- By day, they're high school students. After school, they're DJs, producers and performers.

At Bronx Envision Academy, science teacher Aleksis "Noe" Visners is helping students find their sound - and themselves.

Students say the DJ club has helped them grow not just as musicians, but as people.

The after-school program has been around for more than a decade - starting with almost no equipment and operating out of a closet. Now, it includes a full production setup, podcasts and student performances.

Students say it's a safe, creative space rooted in the culture of hip-hop.

For Visners, a former celebrity bodyguard turned teacher, the program is about mentorship.

"I'm like their biggest fan...If I had it my way, I'd never stop," he said.

Several students are on the honor roll, with creativity carrying into the classroom.