If you’ve been to the bathroom lately you have probably seen the interesting “toilet talk” signs posted on the stall doors. As a part of the Youth Leaders St. Louis program, participants are encouraged to spread the knowledge they have gained.

A select group of

Clayton High School juniors are taking part in this prestigious program, teaming up with juniors from other high schools in the area to gain new skills and train to become the leaders of tomorrow.

The participants are chosen through a somewhat lengthy process, including selection based on criteria and interviews. First, students are selected by their teachers. This group of students is then reviewed by Mr. Henderson and the class counselor, a new group is formed and this group of students is interviewed and selected by Focus St. Louis.

According to the YLSL website, “the program provides high school juniors with a firsthand opportunity to gain problem-solving skills and strategies, develop awareness of issues in our region, and learn how they can make a positive difference.”

Students meet for two-day retreats each month, starting in September and ending in May. According to the website, these two-day workshops are a “combination of team-building exercises, conflict resolution models, experiential learning, and dialogue with community leaders who serve as role models.”

CHS counselor, Anthony Henderson, is one of the YLSL organizer. He feels that the experience is very important in that it allows students to get a better idea of the community around them.

“It allows students from Clayton High School to get a very good view of the issues that surround our region,” Henderson said.

For the October retreat students split up into groups and visited different areas of the St. Louis area, including Downtown, Old North, Grand Center, and South St. Louis. Students observed each location, learning new things to disprove prior misconceptions. They identified the strengths of each of the communities, the defining characteristics, and what may be hindering the area’s success.

Greg Dallas, one of the CHS students partaking in the program, traveled to downtown St. Louis. He observed the location’s growth, but also some of the economic problems along with what steps are being taken to help the area.

“Housing is a very large part of downtown’s economy, but a problem that it is facing is retail,” Dallas said. “The mayor is currently attempting to make downtown and surrounding areas more connected to increase popularity of the downtown area.”

Juniors Alexis Atkinson and Sarah O’Brien were among the group which traveled to Old North. They learned about the town’s history, along with lessons about resiliency, team work, dedication, perseverance, and patience from the community struggles.

O’Brien took note of the history behind Old North St. Louis and what is being done to preserve the neighborhood.

“Old North was cut in half decades ago by highway 70 and its once vibrant air is now gone,” O’Brien said. “On one side of the highway is a prison and industrial areas. The other side is home to the famous crown candy kitchen and vacant buildings. To rebuild this neighborhood a local nonprofit organization is working to refurbish this area and attract permanent residents.”

Atkinson was inspired by the community’s team work and unity.

“When I went to Old North I learned a lot about resiliency and how the neighbors came together to rebuild their community,” Atkinson said. “I also learned how although some things may seem impossible, they actually can happen with time and hard work.”

Visiting the Grand Center, “the intersection of art and life” as described all over the benches in the area, was Melina DeBona and Marin Klostermeier.

Despite its appeal to the creative mind, the Grand Center is struggling. DeBona and Klostermeier explained certain issues the area is facing and what can be done to help the struggling location.

“They [the Grand Center community] need “more stable customers” instead of people who come to watch a show from out of town, and then leave,” DeBona said. “There are non profit associations working on this, who for example are now building a building that offers housing to artists.“ De Bona said students can help the community by taking classes at the art centers or visiting the theaters.

“More people need to live there so that more businesses can move in and do well outside of the Powell Hall, Fox Theater or Black Rep Theater seasons,” Klostermeier said.

Visiting the fourth and final area, South St. Louis, was Cooper Minnis. He learned about the history behind the town and the diversity the area has to offer.

“Currently it offers countless locally owned businesses and Victorian inspired architecture,” said Minnis. “The neighborhoods here are very safe, and are populated by many different people. This area has its own art district, Mexican district, Asian district, and has a significant gay population as well. It is truly the perfect neighborhood.”

Through this experience the students learned about the local areas and what changes can be made to better the society around them.

Looking back upon their experiences thus far, students are glad to be a part of YLSL. The program gives students a great opportunity to develop skills for the future and to learn valuable life lessons. So far all participants have agreed that the program is a worthy experience and they are glad to be a part of it.

“I can safely say that YLSL has broadened my vision of my community, and I look forward to supporting and contributing to it,” Minnis said.

Ultimately, the purpose of the program is to teach students the leadership skills which will lead to the future betterment of the community.

“Our primary goal is to bring the information we learn from participating in the YLSL program back to Clayton high and currently we are working on a community service project.” O’Brien said.

Among their future projects is a Television show which will be aired on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) channel 9.