Gun violence hits close to home for many of the students at Brittany Woods Middle School in University City, Missouri. During this school year, alone, a sixth grader at the school was tragically shot and killed by a fellow sixth grader while playing with his grandfather’s gun, and two seventh graders lost their older siblings to gun violence.

So, when it came time for the seventh graders in Wyman’s Teen Outreach Program® (TOP®) to brainstorm issues and topics that were important to them, as well as issues that affect the Brittany Woods community, there was no question that it was gun violence.

Over the spring semester, the teens actively worked on their STOP the SHOTS community service learning project that aimed to raise awareness about gun violence in their community and create a safer space for them to live. Their motto “Only YOU can STOP what WE started!” reinforces how important youth voices are in addressing societal issues and represents the valuable role they can play in advocacy and change.

At Brittany Woods, TOP® is integrated into seventh grade social studies classes and aligns community service learning projects with that curriculum. In their 3^rd quarter, the students learned about the civil rights movement, government and advocacy. Using what they learned about the advocates for social justice during the civil rights movement, the teens made videos, posters, wrote poetry, made buttons, and wrote to state senators and the president about the issue of gun violence that has directly affected them, their families and their community. The teens plan to measure their impact by personal reflections, responses from congressmen, conversations in the hallway, and hits to their website that showcases their work.

Youth voices are becoming increasingly recognized as important to understanding and addressing issues within our society. It is important that we continue to encourage youth to speak out on issues that are affecting their families and communities and work together to make the streets and neighborhood safer for everyone.

Visit the STOP the SHOTS website to view more videos!

The Missouri Department of Higher Education recently awarded Wyman with a nearly $100,000 College Access Challenge Grant to support the “Wyman Prep” program - which includes both our Teen Leadership Program (TLP) and Teen Outreach Program® (TOP®).

Through “Wyman Prep,” a system of postsecondary access and support, teens receive increased college access and persistence programming, yearly financial aid and access workshops, college tours and immersion experiences beginning as high school freshman and personalized postsecondary coaching and support.

Created in 2007 by Congress, College Access Challenge Grants honor organizations dedicated to preparing low-income students to enter and succeed in post-secondary education. This year the Missouri Department of Higher Education awarded more than $1.6 million in federal funds to 21 groups to reach under-served students.

Other grant recipients include a number of great youth serving organizations that we are proud to partner with on the St. Louis Graduates initiative. We send our congratulations to the following organizations, for their funded projects:

• College Bound St. Louis provides weekly classes on “college knowledge” ranging from admission requirements, types of post-secondary schools, developing study skills, college application completion, scholarship research, essay writing, career exploration, financial literacy and standardized test preparation.
• College Summit provides a comprehensive college access and preparation program to 15 partner schools in the St. Louis area as they continue building a systemic college-going culture.
• The Missouri College Advising Corps (MCAC) program provides college access support and activities to 26 partner high schools in the state.
• The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis will use College Access Challenge Grant funds for the foundation’s “Student Advocate and Advising Program.”

On Monday, the freshman class in Wyman’s Teen Outreach Program® (TOP®) at Lift for Life Academy hosted their annual college fair. Each teen researched a post-secondary education institution of their choice and created a tri-fold presentation. Then, the students acted as “recruiters” for the school and presented their findings to the middle school students at Lift for Life.

This particular project pairs service to others with valuable personal research. The students identified institutions they are personally interested in attending and conducted their own in-depth research, even contacting the schools, which ranged from local to international universities! The teens now know the specific SAT, GPA and tuition requirements for their ideal school as well as the majors and professions that interest them. This enables them to set attainable goals, and make the right decisions to get to where they want to be.

The college fair is one of the teens’ final community service learning projects for the year, in TOP®.  By participating in community service learning, teens learn to plan and implement a service project while taking the time to reflect on and celebrate the process, afterwards.

We all want to improve our community’s future, but so often we don’t know how to create an impact while keeping up with our work, social, and family commitments. Wyman’s new Monthly Giving Program allows you to change the odds for a local teen by setting up an affordable monthly gift on your credit card, debit card, or through a direct withdrawal from your bank account.

Here’s how you can easily, affordably, and safely help:

• For just $10 a month, the price of a not-very-fancy lunch out, twelve teens can be outfitted for a wilderness trek, where they learn to overcome obstacles while working together in their “challenge zone.”
• For $21 a month, about the cost of a delivered pizza, you can provide the lodging for one teen on a 10-day regional college tour – an opportunity for teens to see themselves in various college environments, and make informed, positive decisions about their future.
• For $84 a month, you can support two young people in Wyman’s Teen Outreach Program^® for a year – providing a safe environment to discuss life topics with peers, a positive adult role-model to support and encourage, and the opportunity to learn the value of service.

How does it help you? Signing up for monthly gift to Wyman means:

• No need to remember to send in a check, or give online each year;
• Fewer phone calls and mail reminders about your gift;
• A record of each gift on your bank or credit card statement and an annual tax receipt in January;
• The program may allow you to increase your yearly contribution as your gift will be divided into manageable monthly increments;
• You will be counted among our most loyal and valued donors!

To enroll in the Monthly Giving Program, click donate, designate your monthly amount, and click “Recurring Gift” under Type of Gift.

Thank you for considering a recurring gift to support Wyman teens.

Questions? Contact: David Lauber at david.lauber@wymancenter.org or (636) 549-1247
Recurring gifts are ongoing, however you may stop payments at anytime by contacting us.

As a provider of Wyman’s TOP® in the St. Louis area, Marian Middle School knows all about building a strong character and what it takes to provide a holistic approach to student development, an approach that emphasizes the importance of learning academics and building social and emotional skills in youth.

Marian Middle School, the only all-girl middle school serving adolescent youth in the St. Louis community, is one of fifteen schools honored as a Missouri School of Character by CHARACTERplus. Schools are recognized for offering a meaningful and challenging academic curriculum that respects all learners, develops their character, and helps them to succeed for the future. Only 45 schools and 5 districts in the country were chosen to be 2013 State Schools of Character winners. This year, Missouri had the largest number with fifteen new schools being recognized!

So what does character mean to Marian? “A Marian middle school girl is tolerant, spirited and caring. She is empowering and creative, talented, smart and an encouraging girl. She is kind, sweet and sensitive but yet strong on the inside. She is a brilliant young girl with confidence. She is hope for the future.” Congratulations Marian Middle School!