The St. Louis County Library will host a Hip Hop Architecture Camp this summer at its Natural Bridge Branch located at 7606 Natural Bridge Road in Normandy for youth ages 12-15. The camp will take place Monday, June 3–Friday, June 7 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day.
During the camp, participants will be paired with architects, urban planners, designers and hip hop artists to design a unique vision for their communities. They will also participate in an architectural design competition and a rap battle for prizes. The camp is free and lunch is provided. Interested teens will be asked to submit a short essay as part of the application process. Forty students will be selected to participate in the camp. Applications will be accepted through April 15 at www.hiphoparchitecture.com.
Hip Hop Architecture Camp is a free one-week intensive experience, designed to introduce under-represented youth to architecture, urban planning, creative place making and economic development through the lens of hip hop culture.
This is the second year SLCL will host the camp. Thirty kids attended the camp in 2018, where they created ideas for developing the area around the North Hanley Transit Center. Campers identified issues in their community that urban planning could help address, including crime, gun violence and homelessness. St. Louis rapper and producer, Chingy visited the camp and helped the kids create a rap about their vision for St. Louis. On the final day of the camp, kids created a music video for the rap, featuring famous St. Louis landmarks like Busch Stadium and the Arch.
“We are thrilled to provide this unique opportunity again in 2019 for youth to expand their horizons and create a new vision for the St. Louis community and for themselves,” said Kristen Sorth, director of the St. Louis County Library. “We heard so many good things from parents and kids at last year’s camp; we can’t wait to see what the kids come up with this year. St. Louis County Library strives to open doors, remove barriers, and encourage people to explore endless possibilities. This program accomplishes these goals.”
The camp is presented in partnership with the Urban Arts Collective, a non-profit focused on increasing the number of underrepresented groups in S.T.E.A.M. careers, and Autodesk, Inc. the software provider for people who make things.
Program sites are accessible. Upon two weeks’ notice, accommodations will be made for persons with disabilities. Contact St. Louis County Library by phone 314-994-3300, or visit www.slcl.org. Persons interested in attending the Hip Hop Architecture Camp can apply through April 15 at www.hiphoparchitecture.com.
