Through Revitailztion of Baden Association and River Roads Lutheran School, residents of Baden have identified key priorities in their neighborhood including improved reading scores and creating community spaces.
Little Libraries
December 9, 2022 We are pleased to announce the award of a Little Free Library Impact Library from LIttle Free Libraries! It will be installed at River Roads Lutheran School at 8623 Church Rd, St Louis, MO 63147 in January 2023! The children at the school used handprints to create butterflies on the post and box while resident and artists Marsha Nelson completed the design. The Library will be stocked with books in the Read in Color program of the national LIttle Free Libraries. In addition we are collecting donations of books and funds to keep the library stocked and up to date. Fund donations will be used to purchase books from the St. Louis Black Authors of Children’s Literature and to pay honoraria for Black Authors to speak with the students and the public. .
From the national Little Free Library website:
We are facing a growing literacy crisis. Today in the United States, more than 30 million adults cannot read or write above a third-grade level. Studies have repeatedly shown that books in the hands of children have a meaningful impact on improving literacy. The more books in or near the home, the more likely a child will learn and love to read. But two out of three children living in poverty have no books to call their own.
Little Free Library book-sharing boxes play an essential role by providing 24/7 access to books (and encouraging a love of reading!) in areas where books are scarce. At the Little Free Library nonprofit, we’re working to fill book deserts and grant libraries to underserved communities through our Impact Library Program and other initiatives.
Community Eco Garden
River Roads Lutheran School is focused on creating community. Currently we are joining them in developing an eco garden to the north and south of the building. The south garden will feature plantings of food items for the cafeteria as well as pollinator larvae. The north side garden will include natives to support birds, bees and butterflies. The garden will provide curricular support for the science and art programs and focus on climate change, earth warming, water management, native flora and fauna, and food production.
The asphalt on the east and west side of the north gym entrance have been removed and replaced with manure and soil with help from students and Acts 1:8.
Work in Progress!
Thank you Brightside for your help obtaining Carlton Daffodils and red tulips to supplement our season long daffodils. The school colors are red and yellow!
Renderings of the garden coming soon
Urban Thinkscaping Grant
We are so excited to announce the award of an Urban Thinkscaping grant from the United States Community Play Fund funded by Lego Foundation supported by Build a World of Play to create community engagement activities in our garden and public spaces. Thanks to ChangeX too! #BuildAWorldOfPlay
Urban Thinkscape transforms public spaces in neighborhoods into opportunities for playful learning by infusing them with durable, replicable, and attractive activities that challenge the mind while encouraging caregiver-child interactions. Puzzles at bus stops stimulate spatial skills; movable parts on park benches become opportunities for exploring language, color, and numbers; and on-site signage and a website connect caregivers to additional information and resources about the links between play and learning. We can not wait to see what artists residing in the neighborhood create!
Play with Language reading books by and for African American Children
Play with Motion with jumping feet stepping stones
Play with Math and the Giant Ruler showing th emetamorphosis of the Butterfly
Play with Science through nature and our native butterfly garden
Thank you to our sponsors!
Volunteers are always welcome! Sign up here.