Saint Louis Story Stitchers has been selected as an organization for the City of St. Louis’ Youth at Risk Crime Prevention Grant of 2020. The amount offered to the organization is $50,000.00.
Story Stitchers are honored by the trust placed in us by the City of St. Louis’ Public Safety Committee, President of the Board of Alderman Lewis Reed and Mayor Krewson. We are ready to expand our work with the youth of the city that we love! Thank you!
We want to express our appreciation to the Public Safety Committee including Chairman and Alderman Joe Vaccaro of Ward 23, Alderman Jeffrey Boyd of Ward 22, who served as Prop S Committee Chairman, Alderwoman Tammika Hubbard of Ward 5, Alderwoman Carol Howard of Ward 14, Alderwoman Shameem Hubbard of Ward 26, Alderman Larry Arnowitz of Ward 12, Alderwoman Pam Boyd of Ward 27, and Alderman John Collins-Muhammad of Ward 21.
We also want to acknowledge the support of two of our partners, Wellston Loop Community Development Corporation and Forest Park Community College Honor Students, who helped us develop our proposal, better understand government processes, and create two trial podcast recordings. We look forward to continuing our work together.
This grant will facilitate expanded Studio hours, expanded youth contact hours, expanded youth recruitment, build out of community partnerships, and begin to build an archive of available conversations of and by youth on gun violence and public health topics important to them.
Watch for the launch of StitchCast Studio, an amazing trip into the world of podcasts for 16-24 year olds living in St. Louis city neighborhoods! Earn while you learn. We all want to hear from you!
The hours for StitchCast Studio programming will take place on Tuesday and Friday evenings, 5-8:00pm. The program will cycle small groups of youth through a month long experience that ends with a live podcast recording session.
Interested? Youth can reach out to us starting NOW!
The grant, which runs through December, 2020, also supports more regular access to Story Stitchers programs and facilities through the addition of regular hours of operation:
Wednesdays and on Saturdays, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
The space, a storefront in the historic Delmar Loop, welcomes 16-24 year old youth with technology, Wi-Fi, a community table, audio and video editing, and space for small audiences up to 20. Some podcast sessions will be recorded in alternative spaces including High Low Listening Room at Kranzberg Arts Foundation in Grand Center, to welcome additional public audiences.
Podcasts, a format popular with youth, will be created by 16 to 24-year old youth in the program to draw in larger numbers of peers. Information on access to social services will be intertwined with arts programming in the podcasts. Monthly podcast episodes of 30 minutes in length will be created and published.
Stay tuned!
