YourWords STL

Crossing Delmar 2020: Moline Elementary & New City School

Guest blog from AmeriCorps VISTA, Grace Cunningham
2 schools. 5 days. 61 students. 18 workshops. 21 teachers. 5 volunteers. 4 locations. 1 culminating event. Hello Crossing Delmar 2020!
The 5th graders of Moline Elementary and New City School participated in Crossing Delmar 2020, YourWords STL’s collaborative writing project designed to

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Reach Farther

Guest blog from Executive Director, Steve Handoyo There is hope But only if you have faith Accompanied by courage to take what you already have and become something great Adversity is our biggest asset And once you understand that You have taken back your power. – Noah Schultz, Reach Farther “Adversity is our biggest […]

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Good Times

Guest blog from Workshop Leader, Donna PattonReggie escorted five girls into the back office at Lift for Life gym. The office was small and crowded, full of files and donated items like gloves and mouthwash. Boys loudly chattered and played basketball on the other side of the thin office wall. […]

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#GivingTuesday is here!

In 2017, YourWords STL provided:- A full year of weekly one-on-one tutoring at Drury House for 16-20-year-old young men at Marygrove Children’s Home- A full year of creative writing workshops at Drury House with two chapbooks currently in production led by Dr. Anna Ojascastro Guzon and Joey Ferber- Our inaugural […]

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Fall Semester in the Books

Guest blog from Workshop Leader, Joey FerberSemester by semester, YourWords STL contributes to the ongoing St. Louis movement fighting for youth literacy and creativity. The energy and spirit of the organization in tandem with its students’ skill and passion create a feedback loop of inspiration. As options open and ideas […]

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Goodbye to My Brother

Guest blog post from Executive Director, Steve HandoyoI’m writing today on a personal note. YourWords STL, and my family, lost one of our most ardent supporters recently in a sudden and tragic accident. My brother-in-law, Joe Giljum, should have turned 37 today. He would have hated the Cubs clinching on […]

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Summer Songs: A Lyrical Introduction to YourWords STL

Guest blog from Drury House Workshop Leader Joey Ferber The summer heat swelled on the bluffs of the muggy Missouri. In the reprieve of good company and hard working air conditioning units, YourWords STL’s four-week songwriting session began on the first Wednesday afternoon of June. Garbed in a rolled-up Oxford, handed […]

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Brick by brick

Guest Blog Post from Executive Director, Steve HandoyoThe echo of youth voices and applause over the past month continue to wash over me in astonished waves. Commuting back and forth between Chicago and St. Louis, my month has been suffused with young artists building our future. Last week, I was […]

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On Being a Volunteer – Small Kindnesses that Get Big Smiles

Guest Blog Post from Tutor Coordinator and Workshop Leader, Patsy Zettler
 
All anyone in this world wants is a little love and attention. A little one-on-one. A touch on the shoulder. Some eye-contact. A smile. As volunteers who work with children, though we may be leading an activity, helping

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Time-Lapse

Guest Blog Post by Executive Director, Steve Handoyo  “Sometimes you need to step back to see the progress you’ve made” – Kunthearath Nhek-Morrissey 1/17Our tutors, Tutor Coordinator, and Programming Director devote hours each week to the students at Marygrove, and now biweekly at Lift for Life Gym. I am only […]

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