WEPOWER
Updates
Donate
Theory of Change Team Careers
Power-Building Academy Tomorrow Builders Fellowship Dream of Change Survey Reimagining Early Childhood Education Survey
About Theory of Change Team Careers Programs Power-Building Academy Tomorrow Builders Fellowship Dream of Change Survey Reimagining Early Childhood Education Survey Updates
WEPOWER
Donate
 
Do you believe every family has a right to live free of poverty? If so, apply to join our Fall 2019 Economic Justice Power-Building Academy today! ➡️ bit.ly/applypba 💛 Residents of North St. Louis City, West St. Louis City, and East St. Louis, IL are eligible. Paid opportunity. Childcare provided. Pictured: Power-Builder Laundrina Dukes-Foster and her children in front of Lincoln Middle School in East St. Louis. 📸: @i.zaiahj
Tomorrow Builders Launch Design Phase, Call on Parents + Educators to join Solution Teams 💛 We are the Tomorrow Builders, a diverse, passionate, and powerful group of parents, educators, activists, academics, school and civic leaders who are tired of the abuse, chaos, racism, and inequity harming kids aged 0-5 in our region. So, we’re doing something about it, and we’re doing it now. Over the last four months, have heard the dreams of over 750 community members (and counting!) across Saint Louis City and County. We’ve researched until our eyes crossed, bonded until our eyes filled with tears of righteous anger, and reimagined early childhood education until our eyes shone with the hope of a better tomorrow. Throughout this process, what’s been clear is the necessity and urgency for collective, equity-centered problem solving. With this top of mind, we invite you to join us! 🕺🏻RSVP to the Kickoff event July 20th: bit.ly/ecekickoff 🙋🏿‍♀️Join a Solution Team: bit.ly/solution-teams 📖Read our full update: bit.ly/tbfupdate P.S. Shout out to @dpndetroit, Aunt Jackie and all of our other wonderful hosts for welcoming us to your cities on our learning trips! #education #earlychildhood #policy #design #community #engagement #leadership #solutions #stlouis #stl #win #parents #educators #teachersofinstagram #newparentslife #teacher #leadershipdevelopment #missouri #children #youth #earlychildhoodeducation
💛 Early Childhood Education Dream + Design Kickoff 💛 What’s your dream for early childhood education in St. Louis? To date, over 750 St. Louis residents have shared their dreams with the Tomorrow Builders—and more dreams continue to flow in! Our next step: Co-create in community a shared dream to guide the design and implementation of solutions. This will kickoff the early childhood education Solution Teams, which Tomorrow Builders welcome you to join. Together, we have the power to build a better tomorrow! 🕙 Saturday, July 20, 10AM-12PM 📍 Innovation Hall, 4220 Duncan Ave ⭐️ Childcare provided; Free & open to the public ➡️ RSVP (link in bio): bit.ly/ecekickoff ▪️Learn more about & sign up for a solution team: bit.ly/solution-teams ▪️Can’t make it? Add your dream here: bit.ly/reimagineece #publicpolicy #education #blackwomenlead #tomorrow #together #solutions #design #collaboration #dream #mondaymotivation #children #educationpolicy #stlouis
Johnnie Day, one of the new Power-Builders, cares for his parents on the block he grew up on in College Hill. “Instead of me being one person on one mission,” he said, “When we work together as a group our voice is heard more.” In his spare time, Day coordinates neighborhood improvement efforts and dreams of opening up a mentoring service for youth in the area. 💛 Read more: bit.ly/stl-pba 📸: @i.zaiahj #stlouis #blackleadership #caregiver #neighborhood #youthmentor #educationpolicy
Johnnie Day, one of the new Power-Builders, cares for his parents on the block he grew up on in College Hill. “Instead of me being one person on one mission,” he said, “When we work together as a group our voice is heard more.” In his spare time, Day coordinates neighborhood improvement efforts and dreams of opening up a mentoring service for youth in the area. 💛 Read more: bit.ly/stl-pba 📸: @i.zaiahj #stlouis #blackleadership #caregiver #neighborhood #youthmentor #educationpolicy
“My goal is to help people realize that this is not how we're supposed to be living,” said Thomasina Clarke, a retired St. Louis Public School theater teacher and one of the new Power-Builders. Clarke lives in The Ville in the house she grew up in. She is driven to keep teaching summer school classes out of a desire to see the light bulb come on in her students’ heads. “If anybody's going to make a change, it's got to be us.” 💛 Join us in celebrating the new Power-Builders: bit.ly/stl-pba 📸: @i.zaiahj
18 North and West St. Louis City Residents Commit to Advocate for Education Justice 💛 On June 8th, residents of West and North St. Louis City arrived at the Deaconess Foundation to start their journey as Power-Builders. The Academy supports community members who commit to long-term organizing towards policy and systems change with the goal of improving outcomes for children in their neighborhoods. This summer St. Louis Public Schools elected board of education will regain governance power. Now more than ever, it is important for our community to build towards a more effective and responsive district. An engaged base of residents strengthens the democratic process and ensures change is built from the ground-up. The Power-Building Academy is a launchpad for community-driven change to push the district towards advancing better policies and solutions. The Academy’s seven-month curriculum facilitates groups of residents through three phases. First, Power-Builders develop organizing skills, an analysis of systemic racism, and an understanding of how the K-12 education system works. Through door knocking in their neighborhoods, Power-Builders engage community to surface major education issues. Second, Power-Builders develop innovative and equitable policy solutions and a campaign strategy to bring about those policy solutions. Third, Power-Builders disrupt current systemic educational inequities by implementing their campaign strategy to achieve tangible policy change. The cohorts include teachers, parents, students, young professionals, and social workers. Each resident applied to the program, sharing why they are personally motivated to improve the city’s K-12 education system. “My goal is to help people realize that this is not how we're supposed to be living,” said Thomasina Clarke, a retired St. Louis Public School theater teacher. Clarke lives in The Ville in the house she grew up in. “If anybody’s going to make a change, it’s got to be us.” 💛 More: bit.ly/stl-pba 📸: @i.zaiahj #publicpolicy #blackwomenlead #stlouis
The Black Census is the largest survey of Black people conducted in the United States since Reconstruction. As a partner organization, WEPOWER mobilized to collect responses in Missouri. This new report from @blackfutureslab shares the results of the survey. ➡️ bit.ly/moreblackthanblue . . . . . #blackvoters #blackwomen #survey #peoplepower #listening #report #publicpolicy #blackwomenlead #census #politics #blackpoliticalpower #votingrights
“In my day-to-day work with families, I see the impact that access to quality early childhood education can have in their lives. If families feel safe leaving their children in a center, their children can learn and get ready to enter kindergarten. They know their name, their letters and their numbers. They’re ready socially and emotionally. But also, I’ve worked with families on individual goals and taught classes that have changed their lives. For instance, I worked with a parent who was homeless when the child was enrolled, and within a couple of years they were able to buy a home. Access to a high quality early childhood education can mean really huge outcomes for families. When the chance to become a Tomorrow Builders fellow came around, I knew it was an opportunity for me to use my voice to create more opportunities for families—beyond the limited number we can serve at one center. Expanding quality access is imperative.” -Krysta Grangeno 💛 Reporters with the Higher Education Channel interviewed a number of the Tomorrow Builders earlier this month to learn more about their efforts to reimagine and redesign our region’s early childhood education system to be more equitable. We're looking forward to seeing what the reporters create! . . . #inspiration #education #interview #mothers #socialwork #family #earlychildhoodeducation #school #stlouis #children #publicpolicy #mothersofinstagram #teachersofinstagram #leadershipdevelopment #video #stories
Jacqueline Person, middle school science teacher & North St. Louis Power-Builder 💛 While teacher appreciation week has just ended, our acts of gratitude should not! WEPOWER wants to celebrate our region's current and former educators and invite them to join us, free of charge, at our Power-Building Academy. To nominate your favorite teacher, visit the link in our bio. We'll send them a celebratory e-card with a note from you. Nominate as many teachers as you'd like! . Link in bio.✨ . bit.ly/fav_teacher . 📸: @i.zaiahj #teachersofinstagram #advocate #changeagent #education #middleschool #teachers #teachersfollowteachers #teachersappreciationweek #stlouis #school #leadership #leaders #leadershipdevelopment #stlouis #stl #appreciationpost #appreciate #blackwomenlead #blackwomen #inspiration #inspire #power
Nominate an education advocate that inspires you! We want to celebrate our region's current and budding education advocates—parents, aunties, students, teachers, community leaders, principals, etc—and invite those living in North and West St. Louis City to join us, free of charge, at our upcoming Power-Building Academy! Link in bio. bit.ly/edadvocate 📸: @kristentrudo #education #advocate #students #stl #changemaker #equity #policy #parents #teachersofinstagram #stlouis
We celebrated our one-year anniversary last week! Over these past twelve months, we have trained and supported 44 community members with developing new solutions and advocating for policy change for children in East St. Louis and St. Louis City. Those 44 community members have door knocked and phone banked 10,000+ of their neighbors. More than 1,000 residents have signed on in support of their policy solutions. Together, they inspired East St. Louis District 189 to pledge to implement a community school model that has the potential to positively impact hundreds and eventually thousands of youth. Together, they inspired four out of seven of St. Louis Public School's elected board members to adopt policy solutions that will increase budget transparency and community voice. Together, they listened to 500+ parents and early childhood educators to hear their dreams of change as they imagine a better future for our youth. If you’d like to help scale our impact, consider becoming a sustaining member by scheduling a monthly contribution today! 💛 wepowerstl.org/updates/one-year-anniversary . . . 📸: @kristentrudo . . #celebrate #publicpolicy #policy #anniversary #education #youth #students #teachersofinstagram #stl #stlouis #eaststlouis #community #advocate #parents #educator #future #donation #fundraiser
RISE 189 UPDATE: In March Rise 189 members met with Superintendent Culver and testified at the district’s monthly school board meeting. Our meeting with Superintendent Culver went well, and we are optimistic that his support will lead to the implementation of our three policy solutions. 1️⃣ Implement community-wide strategic planning every three years. 2️⃣ Report progress of strategic plan to the community annually. 3️⃣ Record and televise all school board meetings. The school board meeting was a different story. At the meeting board members tried to silence our voices. Still, we are not discouraged. While board members have refused individual meetings with us, their constituents, we continue to hold that door open for collaboration. This week, we are testifying at the April board meeting—Tuesday, April 23 at 6pm at 1005 State Street, East St. Louis, Illinois. Want to see these policies implemented? Join us at the meeting, and stand up for all our children. . . . . #estl #education #educationpolicy #transparency #advocate #changemakers #power #blackleadership #schools #children #instablackandwhite #blackgirlmagic #leadership #eastsaintlouis #eastside
Congrats to La’Crassia Wilderness, founder of @butterlovebylc & winner of WEPOWER’s Dream of Change $1,500 business support grant! L.C. and 100+ Black and Latinx St. Louis-based entrepreneurs, representing a wide range of industries, shared their Dreams of Change for the entrepreneurial landscape with WEPOWER. Angela Mayes, winner of an additional drawing, along with 50+ residents of North City shared their visions of what #businesses they want to see in their neighborhoods. Since 2014, La’Crassia has combined her love for ingredient mixing and nature in the creation of high-quality body products, sourced almost completely from her hometown of St. Louis. From body butters to face masks, she creates products by hand in her home #studio. “I’m working to #heal, connecting the skin, spirit and natural world,” says La’Crassia, who commonly goes by L.C. “At first I was just trying to make myself happy,” she says, sharing that she struggles on and off with depression. “I created a body butter consistency that I really, really loved—that healed my body. I had no intention of selling it.” After that a friend’s feedback inspired L.C. to build her products into a business. Each year since, L.C. has doubled her sales—surpassing $20,000 in revenue last year. She will put the Dream of Change grant towards rebranding her product jars and labels. L.C. plans to scale Butter Love over the next five years by employing a team and moving her studio into a warehouse in order to sell at stores nationwide. In L.C.’s survey responses, she names three support structures that would allow her to turn her Dream of Change into a reality: trusted #mentors, financial advising, and capital investment. 💛 WEPOWER’s forthcoming report pulls from the first round of survey responses and interviews and explores #innovative #entrepreneurship practices and models from across the country to highlight opportunities to improve support of St. Louis-based Black and Latinx #founders. The report informs WEPOWER’s “Accelerate Creators” strategy, which includes launching an accelerator program for #entrepreneurs in the next year. Sign up for a first look at the report: bit.ly/doc_report 📸: @abbygillardi
Even with the rain, we had a full house at this weekend’s school board candidate forum, hosted by the Better Budget Better Schools coalition and @actionstl. All six candidates pledged to bring forward a resolution in support and vote in favor of the Better Budget, Better Schools policy demands within the first few months of serving on the board, if elected! 💛💛💛 Tomorrow is Election Day! 🗳 Want to learn more about the candidates for school board? Watch the live stream of the candidate forum and read the responses to the questionnaire online at bit.ly/cand-questionnaire 📸: @saltflowers
Jan Roberson in this week’s St. Louis American.
Current and potential parents and guardians of children birth to age five, center directors, owners and educators—what is your dream for our region’s early childhood education system? 💛💛💛 Complete this 5 minute survey before April 12th to be entered into a drawing for multiple $100 Visa gift cards. bit.ly/reimagineece (link in bio)
 
WEPOWER
4220 Duncan Avenue,
St. Louis, MO, 63110,
United States
Hours
Engage Connectors
Community Needs Survey Power-Ups Black Census Project
Accelerate Creators
Elevate Accelerator Dream of Change
Activate Change Makers
Power-Building Academy Tomorrow Builders Fellowship Rise 189 Better Budgets, Better Schools Reimagining Early Childhood Education Survey
//
Connect Stories Library Careers Elected Officials Lookup Upcoming Events