The City of St. Louis, ARCHS, the St. Louis Public Schools, Better Family Life and The SPOT are partnering with America's Promise to conduct an important series of high school drop out prevention summits.

Partnership Profile:

Funder:     America's Promise

Focus:         Reduce high school drop out rates in the City of St. Louis

Partners:

ARCHS

Better Family Life

City of St. Louis

St. Louis  Public Schools

The SPOT

Activity to Date:   First of three local youth led summits held

Partnership Information:

In 2009, the City of St. Louis is hosting the first of three youth-planned summits to find ways to better engage students and help address the high school drop out crisis.

The 2009 summits are being funded by a grant from America’s Promise Alliance. The City is partnering with ARCHS, Better Family Life, St. Louis Public Schools and The SPOT to engage youth in creating solutions to the high drop out rate.  Each summit is planned by youth and will generate ideas, strategies and plans to re-engage the thousands of young people that are disconnected from school work and community because they have dropped out of school.

The first of the three summits was hosted by Better Family Life on February 19.  The youth in attendance were current students who have one or more risk factors for dropping out of school.

Currently 1 out of 2 public school students drop out of school in the City of St. Louis.  Drop outs are more likely to be involved in crime, suffer from poor health, and live in poverty.

Summit Dates: (Not open to general public)

• Feb. 19: Summit Hosted by Better Family Life
• April 30: Summit Hosted by SLPS
• June 22: Summit Hosted by The SPOT

Partner Links:

• America's Promise Drop Out Prevention Summits
• America's Promise St. Louis Summit Calendar

Thanks to the following for their support:

• A.C.E. Educational Center
• Clear Channel Radio
• Harris Stowe State University
• Monsanto YMCA
• Murphy Lee
• City of St. Louis SLATE
• St. Louis Community Credit Union

For more information contact:

Kira Switzer
Consultant
Mayor’s Commission on Children, Youth and Families
1316 Hebert Street, St. Louis, MO 63107
Phone: 314-308-3789
E-mail:  kiraswitzer@gmail.com

St. Louis Summit 1

February 19, 2009: St. Louis High School Drop Out Prevention Summit

Hosted by Better Family Life at Harris-Stowe State University.

St. Louis Summit 1 Group Photo

Panel Interacts with the Students

Students Discuss Issues with Panelists

Panelist Murphy Lee Talks to the Students

Murphy Lee Interacts with Students

St. Louis Summit 2

April 30, 2009: St. Louis' Second High School Drop Out Prevention Summit

Hosted by St. Louis Public Schools' Community Education Centers at the Monsanto Family YMCA.

A Crowd of More Than 300 Students Participated in the Second St. Louis Summit.

St. Louis' Summit #2 Was Planned by SLPS' Community Education Student

Ambassadors.

SLPS' Peg Pedersen and 100.3 Beat Radio Personality "Kiki The First Lady"

Helped Rally the Students During Summit 2.

Student Breakout Sessions Focused on Health, Finances, College Preparation and Peer Pressure Issues.

St. Louis Summit 3

June 22, 2009: The third St. Louis High School Drop Out Prevention Summit

was hosted by THE SPOT at the Regional Arts Commission. Youth associated with THE SPOT used an innovative PHOTOVOICE technique to tell stories about challenges they face related to staying in school.

One of the students from THE SPOT proudly shows off his exhibit.

Each exhibit told a personal story.

Another student exhibit tells yet another unique story.

Guests explore the many talented student exhibits.

At the Summit, Lawrence Lewis, Director of THE SPOT, visits with Debra Hollingsworth, Vice President of External Affairs at AT&T.

Students from THE SPOT.

PHOTOVOICE technology made the student presentations very personal.