Created in 1995, St. Louis ArtWorks has served more than 1,200 teens by providing a unique job opportunity in the visual, literary and performing arts.   The youth are hired for six weeks each summer and 10 weeks in the fall and spring as apprentices with some of the region's most notable artists.  During the inaugural Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition (SEIC) program, the St. Louis ArtWorks’ team developed the concept of the Boomerang Press, a teen-powered social enterprise to create, produce and sell a line of note and greeting cards.  The proposed Boomerang Press would employ at-risk youths in a year-round training and apprenticeship program, teach them art and business skills and provide an earned income stream for ArtWorks.

After winning the competition, the Boomerang Press became a reality, and YouthBridge funded the social enterprise.    ArtWorks has grown by 60 percent with plans to employ 210 young artists by 2010.  “While the numbers of youth are significant, the real value of the program is the positive impact it has had on the apprentices, 70 percent of whom have gone to college or art related careers, including the Art Institutes of Kansas City, Chicago and San Francisco.” ArtWorks Executive Director Priscilla Blocksaid of the new social enterprise.

In 2008, the St. Louis region was named one of 10"All America" cities by the National Civic League.  St. Louis was cited for three projects - one being St. Louis ArtWorks/Boomerang Press.  This recognition resulted in additional commissions for cards and other work.
 
To learn more about St. Louis Artworks and Boomerang Press, visit www.stlartworks.org.

In 2006, Meds and Food for Kids (MFK) participated in the Social Entrepreneurship Innovation Competition (SEIC).  Since participating in the workshops, MFK is on track to reach their goal of “Alive at Five”: to ensure that children remain well nourished and healthy through the toddler years and to reduce the threat of malnutrition among Haitian children in approximately 10 years.    Founded in 2004 by Dr. Patricia Wolff, Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Washington University's School of Medicine, MFK is a non-profit organization that fights childhood malnutrition in Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere.  MFK produces a ready-to-use therapeutic food called Medika Mamba, a high-energy, fortified peanut butter paste distributed for home-based malnutrition therapy.

"Because of the SEIC, we have received increased attention from the public and made great connections with other organizations, both non-profit and private,” Wolff said.  “With the heightened awareness, we were awarded $198,000 from the World Bank’s Development Marketplace Grant, which is funded by the World Bank and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.  This grant will allow MFK to treat approximately 4,000 children in the next two years.”

To learn more about Meds and Food for Kids, visit www.medsandfoodforkids.org.