| Advertise with Java Journal and Save! |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
by Mary K. Morgan
Located in the heart of Webster Groves, there’s a small office where BIG things happen. That office belongs to Elizabeth Ketcher, founder and executive director of StudioSTL. Three years ago, Ketcher gave up her job as a practicing attorney and turned her attention to creating a program in which young people could improve their writing skills. When asked about the mission of her project, Ketcher stated that, “StudioSTL empowers youth by helping them discover, develop and celebrate their inner voices in writing.”
She went on to explain the goal of the endeavor, “Our intention is not to create professional writers, but rather to develop the ability to write with confidence and clarity, which is an indispensable tool to academic and personal success.”
Since its inception, StudioSTL has already produced several student publications. Very impressive is StudioSTL Anthology I: Self-Portraits, an anthology of writings by students from the Clyde C. Miller Career Academy and University City High School. A year-long undertaking, this volume is the culmination of many sessions of work in which professional writers served as mentors to area high school students.
A beautiful collection of student works, it offers its readers a clear perspective on the thoughts and concerns of urban youth. This volume surpasses all of the original expectations for the collaborative project. One of the included authors, Karissa Anderson, age 17, contributed The Pen Will Not Judge Me. Her words are certainly an endorsement of the project’s intent:
“Sometimes I can’t see straight.
Life gets hazy and crazy, but my pen
brings such color.
I love to write.
I’m shy at times, but the pen will not
judge me.”
Recently, the attendees of a writing session of junior high reporters at Jamison C.M.E. Memorial Church had the opportunity to interview some local role models in an effort to place the finishing touches on their newspaper for the 21st Century Press Corps project. Topics such as video games, fashion, entertainment, local celebrities and editorials will be covered in the issue. Scheduled to hit the streets around the beginning of April, this publication will be a source of pride and accomplishment for all involved in its production.
Last summer, a StudioSTL workshop published Volume 1, No. 1 of Tall-Tale Truth, an eight-page newspaper that looks very polished and professional — especially for a group of middle school staffers to have created. Imagine the thrill of the youngsters when they saw their articles in print. One of those reporters was Kate Ketcher, age 10, who had the privilege of interviewing Jean Carnahan. In her article titled “The Life of a Senator: Then and Now,” Kate wrote, “The life of a senator is full of both creepy and exciting experiences. I recently sat down with former United States Senator Jean Carnahan for an exclusive interview…”
Under the large umbrella of the StudioSTL organization, there are several different literacy-related services. All programs and classes are free to participants and are designed and conducted by a team of well-qualified volunteers. The current programs are:
StudioSTL Press: volunteers and mentors work with youth through all phases of the writing process and publish the students’ final work in StudioSTL publications.
StudioSTL Readings: student authors read and sign their works at community venues including bookstores, literary events and on radio shows.
StudioSTL Internships: high school students mentor younger studio writers and assist with layout, design and marketing of StudioSTL publications.
StudioSTL Educators: StudioSTL provides in-school support on request, offering projects tailored to teachers’ classroom needs.
Volunteers are at the heart of the program — acting as mentors, teachers, clerical workers and public relations conduits. One very talented graduate student who generously donates her time to StudioSTL, Emma O’Brien, has nothing but praise for the project and its various aspects. In a recent interview, Ms O’Brien graciously took the time to sum up her experiences with StudioSTL. Her dedication and enthusiasm are reflected in her responses:
Q. How did you happen to find out about StudioSTL?
A. After visiting 826 Brooklyn in Fall 2006 (editor’s note: 826 Brooklyn is another writing project.), I promptly fell in love with 826 (www.826national.org), Dave Eggers and the entire idea of having a highly creative writing studio in urban areas. When I found out I was moving to the St. Louis area, I emailed 826 National and asked if there was one of these incredible things (a nonprofit writing studio fueled by a hilarious for-profit store) in St. Louis. Their response was that there was no official 826, but to contact Beth Ketcher of StudioSTL, who was doing quite similar work. I emailed Beth about volunteer opportunities, who of course sent me a friendly email to the tune of, "What would you love to do?" We sat down to chat in July, and I've been doing something StudioSTL-related at least once daily since.
Q. What aspect/aspects of the project are you involved in?
A. Although I am willing to and have helped in many areas including grant writing, event planning, marketing and administration, my main focus with StudioSTL has been developing the volunteer program and creating an internship program. I marketed our volunteer opportunities as unpaid internships to local universities, then recruited, interviewed and managed interns to work on projects from database management to accounting to graphic design. I developed an individual agenda for each and help to track and monitor their progress.
Q. What do you enjoy about working at StudioSTL?
A. It's absolutely fun. Even when working on something as seemingly boring as financial statements, the people involved and the end goals are always focused on having a positive and enjoyable experience. I also wholeheartedly believe that St. Louis youth have a need not only to develop their writing skills, but to find their voice, find someone to listen — and find something to say. Giving kids the opportunity to be published authors is simply amazing, and anything I can do to assist that mission is well worth my time. I love the unlimited creativity, boundless energy, and genuinely worthy mission of StudioSTL!
Like all great leaders, executive director of StudioSTL Elizabeth Ketcher has a vision for her project. In the not-to-distant future, she would like to have “…a community center for writers and educators to share writing, words and the gift of written self-expression with youth as they create books, newspapers, magazines, films and songs.” Her vision includes:
• A place for publication and performance of student works and a host to local, regional and national writers and arts organizations.
• A dynamic, theme-based gateway that draws the community in and offers the opportunity for first-hand involvement.
• An educational resource for St. Louis youth and community to increase awareness and appreciation for writing as both an essential skill and an essential art.
And if those sound like lofty goals, like a lofty goal, fear not. StudioSTL has taken enormous strides in the past three years under Elizabeth Ketcher’s leadership and she’s just warming up for the next big step.
All non-profit undertakings need all of the support that they can get, and StudioSTL is very fortunate to have established partnerships with: College Bound St. Louis, The Freedom School, Children’s Defense Fund, Jamieson C.M.E. Memorial Church, Washington University, Olin School of Business, Mr. Ken Botnick of Washington University and EmDash Studio, St. Louis Rams, St. Louis Science Center and St. Louis University.
For more information about StudioSTL, contact Elizabeth Ketcher, executive director, www.studiostl.org, (314) 662-1464.
| April Featured Stories |
|
|
|
|
|
