We are pleased to announce our June 2024 AwesomeStPaul grantee “BrokenRobots Double Dutch, an ongoing project to get kids off their screens and encourage them to go outdoors and enjoy life! We chose Double Dutch because it is bringing joy to hundreds of St. Paul kids and adults this summer.

In the words of Broken Robots Double Dutch founder Mercedes Yarbrough,
"We are in a spiritual warfare with the evolution of technology which is effecting humanity at an alarming rate. Our brains are the most powerful thing in our bodies and we are using our minds less by being dependent on technology. As a result we are seeing a generation of weak minded individuals which is causing a rise in anxiety, depression, mental illness, etc. our youth are not using their imagination are spending hours staring at a screen instead out enjoying life. I’m on a mission to inspire this generation to be a broken robot! Someone that is a disruptor using their mind, being themselves, and not being controlled like a robot! The project will be sports theme based to get our youth active and engaged in activities such as double dutch to get them using their minds. Double dutch was a popular summer activity in the black community that young girls played all day outside! You have to use your mind to know when to jump in the ropes and jump. The project will have sport stations that educate with instructors and a competition to make it fun and memorable. The goal of this project is to get our youth active but also inspire them to be a broken robot!