November 30, 2016
St. Louis ArtWorks honored by nation Learn & Play
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Lend a Helping Ham
Community Voices
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By Charlotte R. Beard
Submitted photo St. Louis ArtWorks Executive Director Priscilla Block (left) holds the 2016 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award while standing next to AnnaLise Cason, a St. Louis ArtWorks apprentice and First Lady Michelle Obama.
Moore On Life
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School
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Leftovers
Organization receives 2016 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award from First Lady Michelle Obama By Nicholas Elmes Since it first opened in 1995 supporters and participants in St. Louis ArtWorks have known the importance and impact of the program, but on Nov. 12 that knowledge was shared with the world as First Lady Michelle Obama named the organization as one of only 12 groups to receive the 2016 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award. The award recognizes the country’s best after-school and out-of-school-time creative youth development programs for using engagement in the arts and the humanities to increase academic achievement, graduation rates and college enrollment. The 12 awardees – chosen from a pool of 251 nominees and 50 finalists – were also recognized for improving literacy and language abilities, communication and performance skills and cultural awareness “To realize that we were now designated as one of the top youth programs in the nation was extremely rewarding,” said St. Louis ArtWorks Executive Director Priscilla Block. “We have worked so hard over the years to continue to improve the quality of our program and to serve more and more kids. It has taken a lot of
investment from people from around the community to do this and it is sort of a validation of their investment in us.” St. Louis ArtWorks is an apprenticeship and job training program for area youth aged 14 to 19. “We use art as the vehicle to provide that job training and life skill development,” said Block. “We have youth from over 50 different high schools and 33 different zip codes.” The organization uses two dedicated professional artists to guide the youth through completing commissioned artwork for area industries, businesses and governments. “I go out and solicit the commissions and then we know if it will require skills of painting and drawing or photography and graphics or maybe someone who is good at sculpture,” said Block. “Once we know the skills that are needed, we teach those skills to our youth. We also very much teach the business side of it. “Our primary goal is to strengthen our apprentices’ core skills in science, technology, engineering, art and math; exposing them to a variety of careers. Our youth also gain professional work experi-
ence while earning a stipend and learning the importance of teamwork, social skills, life skills and financial management – all essential qualities our future workforce needs to succeed,” said Block. Ninety percent of St. Louis ArtWorks’ youth graduate high school and plan to attend college, which is a significantly higher rate than their classmates. Block made sure to bring a shining example of what the program could accomplish when she visited the White House to receive the award earlier this month, inviting current apprentice AnnaLise Cason to come with her. “She was recommended by several of our teaching artists and my program manager because of her dedication to the program,” said Block. “AnnaLise has been an apprentice with us since 2014. She has been involved with projects that have created large murals and she is currently working in a group that is creating screenprinted textiles that will be offered for sale on Dec. 10 at our holiday sale.” Cason, a junior at Confluence Academy, did not always have the extra money See ARTWORKS page 2
Students awarded scholarships
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