IMAGINE WITH US
What might be possible if more families from across St. Louis decided to start talking to our young children about race and racism? Would it change how we see ourselves? Our city and its people? Would it unlock our ability to contribute to a more hopeful future?

We Stories: Raising Big-Hearted Kids is a new and growing organization that uses the power of children’s literature to create conversation, change and hope in St. Louis and a stronger, more equitable and inclusive future for all.

Our family learning program provides St. Louisans with beautiful, compelling picture books that feature diverse characters and address race and racism. We pair the books with monthly, thematic resources that help parents bring the books to life and advance their own learning. And, we foster a supportive community among the participating families through a closed Facebook group and regular in-person events.

Our program is aimed at families with young children (ages 0-7) who are not yet having robust conversations about race and racism.

From November 2015 – February 2016, 80 local families participated in a pilot of our program approach. From their feedback, we know that our offering is robust and effective, and filling a niche that is not being met. The results of a pre- / post- survey demonstrate that participating families are actively learning, talking and taking action to counteract racism more than before joining We Stories. And, families feel less isolated, better informed and more confident in their ability to address racism in their daily life. The pilot participants were highly satisfied with their experience. When asked if they were likely to recommend this experience to others, 100 percent of participants responded affirmatively.

We have developed a partnership with our region's largest library system to make diverse children's books more widely available.