LEAD STL

Camp LEAD Summer 2026 | Registration Now Open! ☀️ This summer, middle school students from across the St. Louis region will come together for four weeks of leadership, creativity, and community through Camp LEAD. Camp LEAD is more than a summer camp—it’s a place where young people build confidence, explore identity and social justice, and develop leadership skills through hands-on workshops, creative projects, and field trips across St. Louis. Open to rising 6th–8th graders for the 2026–2027 school year from schools across Missouri and Illinois. 📍 Location: Brittany Woods Middle School (8125 Groby Rd., University City, MO 63130) 🤩 Session 1: Identifying You + Belonging - July 6-10 🎭 Session 2: Art as Resistance - July 13-17 📣 Session 3: Speak Truth to Power - July 20-24 🎨Session 4: Activism Through Art with Brock Seals - July 27-31 Campers can attend one week or all four! 🏷️$350/week, limited scholarships are available. Click the Link in our Bio to find Camp descriptions on our website. Complete the online Registration Form to sign up! Discover your voice. Build your community. Lead with purpose. 🔗 Visit leadstl.org/camp to learn more! 💙

As part of the Cultural Leadership Fellowship and LEAD Parkway programs, students participated in our School Swap experience, bringing together high school students from more than fifteen public and private schools across the St. Louis region! 🙌🏾 Through this signature immersive experience, students step into each other’s school communities for a day, attending classes, building relationships, and engaging in meaningful dialogue across differences. Grounded in our Courageous Conversations model, students reflect on identity, belonging, and the diverse experiences that shape our region, building the empathy and leadership needed to bridge divides and lead social change. This is what it looks like to learn with one another and to build a more just and connected St. Louis. 💛

🚌 LEAD Parkway | St. Louis Journey Day 3 🚌 On the final day of the St. Louis Journey, LEAD Parkway Class 3 participated in a bus tour of The Ville and East St. Louis in partnership with the 4theVille Cultural Tourism Team (@4thevillestl ). Students examined the lasting impact of segregation, economic disinvestment, and the 1917 East St. Louis race massacre, while also learning about the resilience, creativity, and leadership that continue to define these communities today. Through reflection and dialogue, students deepened their understanding of our region’s history and the importance of learning from it as they continue their leadership journeys. 💙 🎥: @apisandco.stl

This spring, our Cultural Leadership Fellowship Class 21 students stepped into each other’s traditions through our signature Holiday Swap experience, sharing religion and culture while attending Palm Sunday, Easter, and the first and second nights of Passover with curiosity, respect, and openness. 💙 As part of a 10-month program, students engage in a range of immersive learning experiences that bring together 10th and 11th graders from all backgrounds, developing leaders who exhibit empathy, foster advocacy, and value diversity. ✨

✨ LEAD Parkway | St. Louis Journey Day 2 ✨ On day two of the journey one special highlight was when students attended the world premiere of A Brick and a Bible, a new play by Kathryn Bentley and Colin McLaughlin (@actionartstl ), which tells the story of the 1933 Funsten Nut Strike, when Black women organized thousands of workers to protest unsafe working conditions and low wages. 🤯 The day concluded with reflection and a theater-based debrief, thank you so much @kathibentley for spending time with us! 🫶🏾 🎥: @apisandco.stl

🚌 LEAD Parkway | St. Louis Journey 🚌 In February, LEAD Parkway Class 3 participated in their St. Louis Journey, a three-day immersive retreat exploring advocacy, history, and leadership across our region. Students met with St. Louis County Executive Dr. Sam Page (@drsampage ) and members of St. Louis County (@stlcounty ) leadership team to learn about local government and the importance of civic engagement. They also visited the National Blues Museum (@nationalbluesmuseum ), explored the Mill Creek: Black Metropolis exhibit at the Missouri History Museum (@mohistorymuseum ), and attended the world premiere of A Brick and a Bible, a new play by Kathryn Bentley and Colin McLaughlin, which tells the story of the 1933 Funsten Nut Strike led by Black women in St. Louis (@actionartstl ). The Journey concluded with (@4thevillestl ) a bus tour of The Ville and East St. Louis, where students examined the lasting impact of segregation and disinvestment while learning about the resilience and leadership that continue to shape these communities. Through reflection and dialogue, students deepened their understanding of our region’s history and the role they can play in building a more just and connected future. 💙

Camp LEAD Summer 2026 | Registration Now Open! ☀️ This summer, middle school students from across the St. Louis region will come together for four weeks of leadership, creativity, and community through Camp LEAD. Camp LEAD is more than a summer camp—it’s a place where young people build confidence, explore identity and social justice, and develop leadership skills through hands-on workshops, creative projects, and field trips across St. Louis. Open to rising 6th–8th graders for the 2026–2027 school year from schools across Missouri and Illinois. 📍 Location: Brittany Woods Middle School (8125 Groby Rd., University City, MO 63130) 🤩 Session 1: Identifying You + Belonging - July 6-10 🎭 Session 2: Art as Resistance - July 13-17 📣 Session 3: Speak Truth to Power - July 20-24 🎨Session 4: Activism Through Art with Brock Seals - July 27-31 Campers can attend one week or all four! 🏷️$350/week, limited scholarships are available. Click the Link in our Bio to find Camp descriptions on our website. Complete the online Interest Form to receive next steps! Discover your voice. Build your community. Lead with purpose. 🔗 Visit leadstl.org/camp to learn more! 💙

✨ LEAD Parkway | St. Louis Journey Day 1 ✨ In February, LEAD Parkway Class 3 began their three-day St. Louis Journey exploring advocacy, history, and leadership across our region. Students visited the Office of St. Louis County Executive Dr. Sam Page, where they met with members of the county leadership team and discussed how local government works and how young people can engage with elected officials to create change in their communities. The day continued with a visit to the National Blues Museum, where students explored how the Blues has shaped American music and served as a powerful tool for storytelling and social change. Day one set the stage for a weekend of learning, reflection, and leadership. 💙 🎥: @apisandco.stl

Please join us in congratulating Kelly L. Laura, our Executive Director, on graduating from the Rekindle Fellowship Cohort 2 (@rekindlefellowship ), a program of the Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis (@jcrcstl )!! 👏🏾👏🏾 Rekindle brings emerging leaders from the Black and Jewish communities together for thoughtful dialogue, relationship building, and collective action. ✨ The program is rooted in the belief that by rekindling the strong partnerships between Black and Jewish leaders that helped shape the Civil Rights Movement, communities can work together to advance equity and strengthen relationships across difference. 🫶🏾 We are grateful to JCRC and the Rekindle team for creating this meaningful space for learning, connection, and collaboration, and proud of Kelly for representing LEAD STL in this important work. ✨

🧠✨Get ready for a night of friendly competition, big laughs, and community impact! 🧠✨ Join us for our Annual Trivia Night, featuring pop culture trivia, raffle prizes, and a room full of community members coming together for a great cause. 💙 Bring a team of 10, or sign up as an individual or small group and we’ll help form a team for you. 🏆 Prizes: 🎉 First place team wins back the cost of their table ($300) 🎉 Second place team wins back half the table price ($150) There will also be raffles, games, LEAD STL merch, and opportunities to meet alumni, board members, and staff!! 🎟️ Tickets are on sale now 👉🏾 /events. All proceeds support scholarships for LEAD STL students, helping to make participation possible for young leaders from across the St. Louis region. ✨ 💡 Want to get involved? 💡 ✨ Become an event sponsor ✨ Donate raffle items, snacks, or beverages ✨Volunteer the night of the event Grab your team and join us for a fun night supporting the next generation of changemakers. Hope to see you there! 💙

In early February, Cultural Leadership Fellowship Class 21 gathered at Central Reform Congregation (@centralreform ) to explore the evolving relationship between Black and Jewish communities, examining shared struggles, moments of solidarity, and the complexities that have shaped their history. ✨ Through interactive activities and dialogue, students explored key moments in Black and Jewish history in the United States and reflected on how different forms of oppression and resilience have shaped both communities. 🫶🏾 Students also heard from Rabbi Randy Fleisher, who shared historical context and personal perspectives on moments of collaboration and tension between the communities. The session concluded with a creative empathy activity, where students worked together to reflect on what solidarity and allyship can look like in their schools and communities. Class 21 continues to lean into courageous dialogue and thoughtful leadership as they imagine a more connected future. 💙 🎥: @apisandco.stl

✨ LEAD Parkway Religious Services & Cultural Retreat ✨ In January, LEAD Parkway students participated in a Religious Services & Cultural Retreat Weekend focused on exploring faith, history, and identity across communities. Students attended Kabbalat Shabbat at Central Reform Congregation (@centralreform ), engaged in dialogue with Rabbi Randy Fleisher, visited the St. Louis Kaplan-Feldman Holocaust Museum (@saintlouis_hm ), and concluded the weekend with Sunday worship at Greater Mount Carmel Missionary Baptist Church and conversation with Rev. Dr. Earl E. Nance, Jr. Through these shared experiences, students deepened empathy, strengthened relationships, and practiced learning with one another rather than simply about one another. 💙