Marketplace of Ideas Finalists Showcase Innovative Projects to Address Youth Employment, Nutrition and Violence Prevention

ST. LOUIS – The six finalists of the second annual Marketplace of Ideas grant competition will showcase how collaboration and innovative thinking among grassroots organizations in North St. Louis will be used to accomplish everything from training underserved teens to generate income through growing sweet potatoes and beekeeping to providing instruction aimed at reducing violence in schools, neighborhoods and communities.

The Marketplace of Ideas is a community funding grant program initiated by Incarnate Word Foundation with the support of other local funders to address the needs of children and families in North St. Louis. It seeks to spur collaboration between community members and to raise public awareness of the richness of community activity in North St. Louis. The success of the 2011 pilot program encouraged Incarnate Word Foundation to continue the Marketplace of Ideas as an annual funding program.

This year’s project finalists are: 

• TAP STEP
 -- A youth employment project led by the Acts Partnership that will provide teens in the 21st Ward with lawn service job opportunities this summer

• JSO 21st Century Summer and Afterschool Learning Enrichment Program
 -- A project led by HopeBUILD that engages children in relevant, hands-on nutrition education to build a solid foundation for healthy eating habits  

• The Sweet Potato Project 
-- An employment program led by the North Area Community Development Corporation that will teach youth how to plant and harvest sweet potatoes and how to develop, package, market and distribute products developed from sweet potatoes

• Sweet Sensation
 -- A social enterprise led by Northside Community Center designed to provide employment opportunities to teach entrepreneurship and small business development skills to underserved teens through the design and operation of an urban beekeeping business

• Claver Works Landscaping and Savings Program
 -- A youth employment program led by Revitalization 2000 that will provide an opportunities for employment, job training and savings through a landscaping program in the Ville

• The Real Deal: Reducing Youth Violence Through Peer Influence Strategies 
-- A comprehensive violence prevention program focusing on self-worth and bystander intervention techniques will be taught by St. Louis Families in Shearwater High School 

The six finalists will be presented with a $5,000 grant each from Incarnate Word Foundation to be used toward their projects. Finalists will also present their proposals to the community and other local funders in hopes of being awarded additional funds from the panel attending the Showcase.  Learn more at http://www.iwfdn.org/grants/marketplace-of-ideas/

WHAT: Showcase of Ideas 

WHEN: Tuesday, July 10

           3 p.m. media availability; projects presented 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. 

WHERE: Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church

     3519 N. 14^th St.

             St. Louis, MO 63107 

WHY: Marketplace of Ideas finalists present proposals to local funders, who will consider awarding additional money to one or more projects of interest

WHO: Bridget McDermott Flood, Executive Director of Incarnate Word Foundation                                 Representatives of six project finalists

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