The Youth Initiative

Empowering young people through artmaking

The Youth Initiative  is a series of artist-led workshops which uphold the mutual values of the Labor and Civil Rights Movements by helping young people develop their abilities to be active, responsible, and justice-oriented citizens in their homes, neighborhoods, and future workplaces.

In Summer 2023 we served over 600 youth at 22 sites in St. Louis City and North St. Louis County that included recreation centers, community organizations and nine St. Louis County Library branches.

The Youth Initiative Program aims to:

• Provide underserved youth, minorities, immigrants and refugees access to high-quality arts instruction led by professional artists

• Explore individual and community health issues with youth

• Improve participants’ confidence in making healthy choices

• Encourage youth to embrace their role as community activists

• Grow participants’ understanding of the intersection between the arts and social change.

• Foster the desire to address problems in the communities where participants belong

The Youth Initiative was initially conceived by Bread and Roses’ Founder Emeritus, Joan Suarez, and artists Dail Chambers and Brett Williams.

Interested in bringing our Youth Initiative to your community? Contact our Youth Programs Coordinator, Luisa Otero Prada at youth@breadandrosesmo.org

Youth Initiative Funders