What is it?
The Emerging Changemakers Program will serve as Cultural Leadership’s version of the High School Leadership Program, scaled appropriately for middle school students in regard to content, facilitation, time, duration, and commitment over the course of 10 months. The Emerging Changemakers Program will act independently from Camp Cultural Leadership (also for middle school students) so that participants can choose to participate in one or both programs. For this reason, foundational Cultural Leadership content will be provided in both of these programs so that one program isn’t required to understand the other. Variations to these foundational components (different speakers, different field trips, different activities) will be applied to each program so a student participating in both will gain different experiences.
Cultural Leadership students will attend eight 2-3 hour programs designed to educate them on social justice issues, learn from expert speakers, go on field trips to relevant sites around the St. Louis area, and embark on an overnight Changemaker Immersion Trip to Chicago. The Changemaker Immersion Trip compliments the program’s curriculum and allows students to visit people and places relevant to social justice and democracy.
When is it?
Programming runs from December through October in the form of monthly Sunday afternoon meetings, and includes a Changemaker Immersion Weekend trip.
Who is it for?
All current 7th, 8th, and 9th grade students from the St. Louis region are eligible to apply.
How much does it cost?
Cultural Leadership is committed to equity and ensuring that every accepted student is able to participate in Emerging Changemakers programming. We utilize a sliding fee scale determination system based on family income to ensure that each family contribution is equitable. Families can determine the cost of their student’s attendance by completing our Sliding Scale Fee Determination form, linked here, and emailing it to TPerine@CulturalLeadership.org.
How do I apply?
Students complete a brief online application, including short-answer questions, with a parent/guardian. The online application is liked here. After submitting the application, students will receive an email with more information and schedule an interview with Cultural Leadership staff.
