Young Minds
The Commonspace

Young Minds ARCHIVE

Writing, photography and art from the younger generation

2006
Spring Self-Expression in Smocks The idea for SCOSAG, the South City Open Studio and Gallery for Children, was born from a postcard but gained real-world traction in south St. Louis
Summer No Place Like Shining Rivers With hands, and hearts, and heads, kids at this Waldorf School in Webster Groves learn to experience the whole world
Fall Prison Performing Arts: Theatre with Punch From lock-up to center stage, this theatre company puts the drama of adolescence in the service of art

2005
Jan Perception Deception Since Teach for America brought me to Vashon, the reality in Room F241 hasn't matched what the hype might lead you to believe
Mar Object Lessons Winning essays about personal inspiration from important African-American leaders, courtesy of the Ferguson Middle School Black History Month essay contest
May Million Dollar Babies Day in, day out, kids flock to learn the sweet science at the Panda Athletic Club
Sep Building Massive Brain Power Lift for Life Academy started with pumping iron, but soon the charter school was bulking up its students' dreams, too
Dec New Art Through My Eyes From the Lou to art school, via an innovative program at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis

2004
Feb Learning to Love the Language Just two hours a week in the Y-Read program has made a huge difference in the lives of some local kids, even if all they thought they were getting was teen fashion advice
May School of Hard Knocks Despite her best intentions of living and schooling kids in the city, Angela found she had to move out to find the best education for her child
Jun Can I Get an A-Men? An insider's look at the Webster Groves HS a cappella group A-Men, possessed of extraordinary vocal talent and some hard-core female fans
Nov Am I My Sista's Keeper? YW-Teens programs grow St. Louis girls into tomorrow's leaders
Dec Magnet-School Gamble Chance and consternation on the magnet-school quest

2003
Jan The Coolest Middle School Bandleader in the World Forget the nerdy t.v. image: Robert Garrett wins over Fanning Middle School's budding virtuosos with his beret and love of B2K
Feb Living Room Lesson Plans One St. Louis family's homeschooling journey
Mar Closing the Gaps The Vashon Education Compact vows that failure is no longer an option for the kids in its schools
Apr Will the Real School Board Candidates Please Stand Up? Snapshots from one evening in the heated campaign that draws to a close this month — but has far-reaching results
May Tearing Down Walls by Painting on Them Artist Sarah Paulsen teamed up with Hispanic youth and community activists to bring beauty to a wall along Cherokee Street
Jun Inspired by the City Love and anger, hope and despair — all based in St. Louis — find their way into poems from some insightful 7th graders
Jul IMAGINING a Better Future for Troubled Kids Matching incarcerated students with artist mentors leads to an outpouring of talent
Aug On the Watch Since his unsuccessful run for the school board last fall, Peter Downs has dedicated his St. Louis Schools Watch newsletter to keeping the winners honest
Sep Louie, Louie The magazine produced by St. Louis teens for St. Louis teens proves catchy enough to hook kids and adults alike
Oct Takin' It to the Streets Youth in Need serves, well, youth in need — including runaways and homeless kids who come into its Street Outreach Program
Nov Art Enriches Coloring the way to a brighter future for East St. Louis' Head Start kids
Dec Growing Up Absurd Catching bright kids at the tipping point between brilliance and dangerous isolation

2002
Jan Getting Schooled A St. Louis middle school teacher's journal chronicles how letting go of strict control led to excitement about learning in her class
Feb Fancy Ass Cars and Diversity Thoughts on what America is all about, from a student at the Black Ink community center
Mar Community and Collaboration An interview with Jenna Bauer, founder of The South City Open Studio and Gallery for Children
Apr Bikes, Bytes and Brains Kids can earn bikes, computers and respect from an innovative program in the Shaw neighborhood
May Life Line For the teen volunteers answering the Kids Under Twenty One crisis line, a slow Friday night isn't necessarily bad
Jun 21 Under 21 Award Winners 21? Well, not quite — but we were blown away by these sweet seventeen...
Jul Clean Sweep The Team Sweep Model Citizens program gives city kids a place to be positive
Aug Warehousing is for Dry Goods and Merchandise, Not Kids The outrageous incompetence she saw at a private contract-run St. Louis alternative school forces Lori Canada to speak out about who we're letting into our kids' classrooms
Sep Scrutiny for the School Board Although they're unpaid, St. Louis Board of Education members are among the most influential elected figures in town. A new group thinks we should all be more involved in their recruitment and selection.
Oct Instant Family Just add kid? It's not quite that simple, especially when the child is adopted and the family is trans-racial.
Nov Molding a New Model of Community Seen the new art center along Manchester in Forest Park Southeast? The colors are bright, the kids are showing up...and a new neighborhood dialogue is taking place.
Dec The Quick Brown Fox Jumped Over the Lazy Dog Opening kids' minds to the playground of language at the South City Open Studio and Gallery

2001
Jan Pint-sized Poets Write What They Know Students from Bryan Hill Elementary School know about love, money and more
Feb Do You See What I See? Lessons learned from cameras, kids and a printing press
Mar Mental Muscle At the Academic Olympics, come out thinking or don't come at all
Apr Who Are the People in Your Neighborhood? Dive in with students from The College School, who take the immersion approach to the urban experience
May The State of the Art From the principles to their own performances, Divinity makes poets out of Wellston elementary school students
Jun Building Community from Behind a Counter The College School's seventh graders learn the ingredients of smoothies, good customer service and how a city works
Jul History in a Hole High school students spend their summer excavating privies and such, in the hopes of uncovering St. Louis history
Aug Artwork = Art + Work St. Louis teens get a taste of the artist's life through a unique summer work program in the Gateway Mall's "tent city"
Sep New Art in the Neighborhood Grand Center's Forum for Contemporary Art nourishes the spirits — and stomachs — of budding urban artists
Oct Urban Natural Environment: An Oxymoron? Learning and teaching environmental appreciation and salvation in the St. Louis EnvironMentors program
Nov Making Music with M.U.F.F.Y. Japanese drumming and other musical magic keep kids engaged in their north city neighborhood
Dec Illuminated Mann-U-Script The fall issue of Mann Elementary's literary magazine is hot off the presses

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