Cultural Leadership’s High School Leadership Program is a year-long program that works with students across the St. Louis region, developing them into civic leaders and social justice change-makers through the lenses of the Black and Jewish experiences. The program works to train the next generation of civil rights activists, or – as they are fondly called – “troublemakers of the best kind!”

Students meet during monthly Sunday meetings for programs that include cultural activities, public speaking, leadership training, travel, and facilitated workshops on issues of injustice. Through these activities, students engage in their own and each other’s histories, religions, and cultures. They learn to see how systems of oppression have been constructed and function, and then are supported in taking action to bring awareness to and address these issues in their communities.

Central to the formation of each diverse cohort is building relationships across the neighborhood, school district, and socioeconomic segregation lines. St. Louis is among the most segregated cities in the country. Cultural Leadership recruits all over the city and intentionally crafts Class cohorts that defy the logic of St. Louis’ social status quo. These relationships are a crucial first step in the process of healing the wounds of St. Louis’ ugly, longstanding and persistent divisions.

One of the program’s true highlights is a three-week “transformational journey” in June where participants travel through the East Coast and South visiting historical sites and meeting with individuals significant to Black and Jewish history as well as social justice movements.

The next class will begin in Jan ’23 and applications are currently open for current freshmen and sophomores–students who will be sophomores and juniors in the 2022- 2023 school year.

The first priority deadline is April 29 and students can apply online on Cultural Leadership’s website. Please email [email protected] for more info.