Saint Louis Story Stitchers Artists Collective is pleased to announce that we have received The Equity Impact Award for $25,000 from the Bezos Family Foundation and Creative Reaction Lab.
The Equity Impact Award is a monetary award given in recognition of our work in youth development in the arts and equity. Funding for this award was provided by Bezos Family Foundation.
We look forward to making great things happen together!
About Story Stitchers Equity Impact through Creative Youth Development
Saint Louis Story Stitchers work towards systems change through racial justice and economic opportunity. Efforts in racial justice include collecting, amplifying, and preserving black voices and music. Economic opportunity is improved by hiring black artists and youth and making space for artists to be paid to create new works. On a civic level, Stitchers engages multiple systems. Health and safety inequities are challenged by our work with the City of St. Louis on youth crime prevention and mental health through music and by engaging black youth in civic leadership through year-round community service in predominantly black neighborhoods and public schools. Story Stitchers address healthcare and education inequalities, including mental health, through an evidence-based youth violence prevention program with culturally relevant mentors and friends and shelter with safe spaces to gather (including a music recording booth, instruments, and composing and editing technology).
Most recently, Story Stitchers are working with the City’s Department of Health and Washington University’s Institute for Public Health on vaccine education, addressing healthcare education inequalities. Justice system inequities are challenged by making safe space for justice-involved youth in our programs and through our work on violence prevention with the City’s Department of Public Safety, which supports practices such as offering youth stipends, mentoring, safe spaces, and skill development to help young people steer clear of justice involvement. Civic systems for equality in education and employment are challenged by free performing arts and music education, offered as workforce training by black artists for youth, with all economically compensated.
To learn more or get involved, visit storystitchers.org.
