Address: 225 S. Meramec Ave., Suite 107 St. Louis, Mo. 63105

Phone: 314-725-3222

Email: [email protected]

Website: CulturalLeadership.org

Holly Ingraham, Executive Director

Cultural Leadership is a nonprofit youth leadership development organization that exists to create a more just and equitable community by educating middle and high school students in the St. Louis region about social justice, and to recognize and resolve issues of discrimination and equality through the lens of the Jewish and African-American experience. The program’s mission is to give middle and high school students the skills to become social justice activists and practice tikkun olam. Our motto is that when the young people see a problem, they are to grab an ally or two or three, roll up their sleeves and get to work to create a world of inclusion, equality and opportunity for all.

Cultural Leadership now offers two programs. Cultural Leadership for high school students begins in August and ends in August the following year. Students meet monthly, have three weekend retreats and take a 21-day transformational summer journey for a total of more than 460 program hours. Students apply each year in the spring and up to 24 racially diverse St. Louis-area sophomores and juniors are selected each year.

Camp Cultural Leadership is a two-week day camp for middle school students. Students meet daily and end with a two-day overnight trip to Memphis or Chicago. Interested students may register in the spring for the camp, which runs each summer.

Cultural Leadership teaches students and their families how to build a positive coalition of young people who are courageous and skillful at standing up and speaking out against social injustice. Students leave Cultural Leadership with a passion for social justice and prepared to organize and lead others into action. 

Frieda Smith is Board Chair.