StudioSTL WINS WashU Business Plan Competition!

After eight months of workshops and "deliverables," we're pleased to report that StudioSTL took top honors at the Social Entrepreneurship Innovation Competition hosted by Washington University's Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies. In collaboration with the area's best business thinkers, TEAM StudioSTL developed, debated and polished a 5-year plan to create a one-of-a-kind literary arts center for the St. Louis community.

We are immensely proud to receive a $35,000.000 award from the YouthBridge Association, an organization that is wholly dedicated to significantly improving the lives of St. Louis youth. And if the cash prize was not enough? St. Louis's top accounting and consulting firm awarded StudioSTL in-kind services, while team member Bijal Desai grabbed the $5000.00 student prize! We are indebted to Ken Harrington, the Skandalaris staff, the SEIC partners and the St. Louis community participants for their dedication to promoting excellence among non-profits, for their hard work, and for welcoming us with smiles and unending professionalism.

Here's the lowdown:

Who: Washington University's Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies (http://www.sces.wustl.edu/)
What: Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition (http://www.sces.wustl.edu/SEIC/)
When: Since September, 24 teams entered, participated in fabulous workshops and rather nerve-wracking stages of the competition, eventually resulting in 7 finalist teams.
Where: Washington University, Knight Center
Why: To create a 5-year plan and to explore and discuss ideas about "social entrepreneurship" and "social enterprise." In StudioSTL's words? To find the very best ways to develop a community writing center that will offer free writing services to youth, with partial funding of the free services derived from a for-profit student publishing enterprise!

For the full story, see the press release here.

Trivial Pursuit for chEATERS!

Celebrate Pi Day!!
Eat some pie, get some pie - a Trivial Pursuit pie piece that is! Get ahead of your opponents in this not-so-ordinary game night on this oh-so-nerdy holiday (3.14.08), featuring pizza & pie eating contests to chow your way to victory!

Shaw ’s Coffee, LTD.
5147 Shaw on The Hill
7 - 9 pm (ish)
$10 = pizza, pie and potential glory!
Extra pizza slices are $1!

Gather your own opponents or feel free to show up & join a table! You can bring your own version of Trivial Pursuit & we’ll have some backups. This event is being thrown and giggled about by StudioSTL, a writer’s studio for St. Louis youth.

Call Emma today to reserve your table! 217.649.4695

Away With Words!

Greetings fair people of the StudioSTL community! You deserve an update on the organization, and an update you shall receive. Read on, wordlovers, for there is much to tell!

- Our 2nd Annual Trivia Night, Away With Words, was a smashing success. Not only did more than 250 word wizards enjoy 8 riveting rounds of trivia, we collected several hundred fabulous items for live and silent auctions. Thousands of thanks to our sponsors and donors, our priceless volunteers, and to our wonderful guests. The level of energy and pure sense of fun was astonishing. Hats off to all involved! Full post coming soon with specific thankyous to our local businesses and sponsors for their contributions.

- Our next book project, working with Wellston 7th graders, is off and running! If you haven't seen the first book, contact us at once to get your copy, or see local bookstores like Left Bank Books in the CWE. Stay tuned for updates from this next round of young brilliant writers.

- We have progressed, as the previous post details, to the final round of the SEIC competition at WashU! The final awards will not be decided until April, but our team is busy as always developing a comprehensive business plan.

- Get Involved! We have developed an incredible community of volunteers and interns to help us accomplish a myriad of goals. From accountants to graphic designers, from volunteer t-shirts to databases, we're getting stuff done! If you are interested in volunteering for StudioSTL, in any capacity, please contact us at info@studiostl.org. We promise to provide hilariously fun events, an incredible network of people, and rock solid experience in a non-profit organization that is bustling with activity on all levels. Join us :)

That's all for now folks, stay tuned, stay warm, stay wordy.

- Emma O'Brien, volunteer

Best Words of the Week

"...and I really like this concept," Ken Harrington, Wash U, Director, Skandalaris Center. And that concept? StudioSTL! Yes, my friends, Team StudioSTL is ecstatic to report that we have advanced to the finals of the grueling and rather wonderful, SEIC (Social Entrepreneurship Innovation Competition). After a two-minute "pitch" privately and publicly, Mr. Harrington announced StudioSTL (did I mention he really LIKES our concept?) will advance with 7 other teams to the finals, which as our esteemed team member, Dave Ramirez, pointed out means: we won the chance to write a business plan.

We're even more giddy than usual and grateful for our Team (we're buying t-shirts today) for: Wendy Lee, Leslie Evans, Bijal Desai, Dave Ramirez, Katie Birge, and Larry Levin.

Last lines of our pitch? "We're ready to write the next chapter. We invite you to share in our success story." Ah, so true.

Go Team!
Beth Ketcher, Director

Away With Words

Happy 2008! We're downright giddy about our second annual Trivia Night, Friday, January 25^th at 6:30 PM at the Heights. Think words and letters and past participles (nah!). Proceeds benefit Studio STL's new book project in Wellston and our literally thousands of books, magazines, and newspapers. Door prizes, balloons and general merriment guaranteed.

Have fun and do-good in one night? Be there!

Only three tables left -- to reserve, send a note: info@studiostl.org.

Readings this Thursday

Join Observable Readings and StudioSTL at 8 pm on Thursday, December 13th, for a unique literary experience. Student writers from the StudioSTL anthology and poets from the Vivaldi symphony performances will read from their original works. Come help us support these young artists and future literary superstars.

We invite all supporters of the StudioSTL community to come out and raise your glasses for a toast to this wonderful year of writing, publishing, reading and growing. Hope to see you there!

Vivaldi & Poetry Like Never Before

We are completely thrilled to announce two rousing readings of original poetry by five U.City High students -- Alex, Kendra (aka, Red), Cameron, Laurence, and Sonja -- who gathered every Sunday in October and November to pen poetic interpretations of Vivaldi's "Four Seasons." Performed by Paul Huppert and the Noteworthy Chamber Players in acoustically brilliant, intimate settings, the music and poetry will get Scrooge in the mood to celebrate.

We're proud and you're invited!

Friday, November 30, 7:00 p.m., Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union Blvd.
Sun., Dec 2, 2:00 p.m., Evangelical United Church of Christ, 204 E. Lockwood, Webster Groves

ANTHOLOGY SIGNING - LEFT BANK BOOKS

Save the date. Tuesday, November 6, 7:00 p.m. at Left Bank Books. We'll journey to the Central West End (399 Euclid)for readings and signings by student authors of StudioSTL No. 1: self-portraits from the students of College Bound. All the writers will be on hand to sign personal copies of their anthology, while sharing stories from their year-long writing project. And while we feast our eyes on these triumphant high schoolers, we'll tip our hat to three outstanding educators who make us proud to say we're from St. Louis. Special Left Bank awards to: Ms. Lillian Curlett, St. Louis Freedom School and the 21st Century after-school program, Ms. Linda Souder, Partners in Education, Rockwood School District, and Ms. Phyllis Ramsey, Reading Specialist, St. Louis City Schools. Join us. Many, many reasons to feel good guaranteed.

Elie's Magic

A must see...Elie Gardner at the Post captured the anthology writers from College Bound and our year together. This link is to Elie's June slide show that accompanied the front page Post story. The photos are the brilliant work of Cindy Lappin.