May 10, 2023
Empowering youth The Ferguson Youth Initiative works to give teens a voice through education, cultural arts, technology, outdoor activities, community service and more
Around Town St. Louis Mosaic Project celebrates 10 years of welcoming the foreign-born community. Pg. 3
Business NCI awards community leaders for making a difference in North County. Pg. 6
Features
By Wendy Todd As summer approaches, many parents are looking to involve their children in productive activities. One organization that offers a number of opportunities to engage is Ferguson Youth Initiative. The organization was founded in 2010 by the citizens of Ferguson, specifically, Dr. Dwayne T. James, Dr. Jackie Lewis-Harris and Gail Babock to “give teens a voice.” The nonprofit provides programming involving education, cultural arts, technology, outdoor activities, community service and opportunities for employment. One of their popular programs is Mentors in Motion, in partnership with the Arts & Education Council at Ameren, where participants learn about making music and the music industry including marketing and merchandizing. The latest cohort of students created a song and accompanying music video. This year’s participants were six teenagers who collaborated with a local producer, Star, who helped them write, arrange and record a song, titled, “I’m Fly,” an uplifting tune intended to bolster self-esteem. “I’m really happy with the way they came together, worked together and were able to bring their vision to life,” said FYI Executive Director, Aaron Harris. “They came up with a concept for the song based off a picture drawn by the singer in the group, Nyia. It was a hand painted picture of a hummingbird and symbolized strength and perseverance. That’s where the dynamic lyrics in the song come from. After practicing the song a
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Weather FRIDAY Partly Cloudy 85/68 Submitted photo Participating in a project for the Ferguson Youth Initiative were (from left) Aaron M. Harris, Mina Irani, Nyia Ross and Zaria Easterling.
few days, we took the kids to one of the biggest studios here in St. Louis. They excelled beyond our imagination.” The youth then conceptualized a video and shot it at McCluer South-Berkeley High School. “We’re so proud of these scholars because the message they conveyed through music, about being strong and never giving up no matter the circumstances, will inspire people, young and old forever,” Harris said. Students enjoyed learning about the components of writing and recording a song and
putting their ideas into a visual format. “I think this program is a great start to get me working musically with other people,” said participating student, Nyia Ross. “Next year, I’ll be auditioning for the MUNY to kick off some musical theatre in me. This was my little push that has me feeling like musical theater is something I can definitely achieve.” Another student, Mina Irani expressed similar sentiments. See ‘EMPOWERING’ page 2
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