The Special Education Foundation’s (SEF) Junior Leader Academy is off to an exciting start! The group recently kicked off its program year with a behind-the-scenes tour of Busch Stadium, giving students the chance to explore the home of the St. Louis Cardinals and discover the many people and careers that help bring a professional sports organization to life.

Students toured areas throughout the stadium, including the Redbird Club, learned more about stadium operations, and even had the opportunity to sit in the dugout. For many students, experiences like these are about more than simply visiting a new place. They are opportunities to try something new, ask questions, build confidence, and imagine possibilities for their own futures.

Building Leadership Skills

The learning continued in the afternoon as students participated in a marshmallow challenge and other team-building activities. Working together, communicating, and solving problems gave students a chance to practice important leadership skills in a fun and hands-on way.

At the end of the session, a few students shared their favorite parts of the day:

• Tre Carter of Pattonville enjoyed visiting the Redbird Club.
• Wade Tanner of Kirkwood enjoyed the marshmallow challenge.
• Serenity McCoy of Valley Park especially enjoyed seeing all the flowers and statues in front of Busch Stadium.

About Junior Leaders Academy

Junior Leader Academy is a pilot leadership development program for middle school students in the Special School District of St. Louis County. Supported by a grant from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the program provides students with hands-on experiences, community connections, and opportunities to develop emerging leadership and social skills while exploring and learning more about the world around them.

And this is just the beginning! Next month, students will visit the Challenger Learning Center, where they will take part in an interactive space mission. In December, they will visit the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum for an opportunity to learn about history, reflect on important lessons, and continue developing their understanding of leadership and their community.

Behind every one of these experiences is a community that believes in these students. SEF donors help make it possible for students to have meaningful experiences that might otherwise be out of reach—experiences that spark curiosity, build confidence, and remind students that there is a world of possibilities waiting for them.

When you support SEF, you’re not simply helping fund a program. You’re helping create moments that students will remember, opportunities that can inspire them, and experiences that help them see what they can do. We are so grateful to everyone who helps make these opportunities possible, and we can’t wait to see where our Junior Leaders go next!