two young men work in a lush green garden

Summer Teen Project in the City

Experiences to Build Skills for the Future! As a teenager with a disability, the goal of post-high school employment can seem huge. The St. Louis Arc provides a summer project, Neighborhood Experiences, which supports teens in identifying their post-graduation goals and in building the skills needed to achieve them.    What Makes This Different Than Summer…

round logo says The Council on Quality and Leadership CQL Accredited

Connecting at the Neighborhood Beauty Shop

The Neighborhood Experiences summer project is a steppingstone for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, ages 16-21, on their way to employment. Arc participants serve as volunteers with organizations or businesses they are interested in and practice hard and soft employment skills while making meaningful community connections. Through this experience, 14-year-old Arc participant A’Leah discovered…

A coach points in the field, showing a softball player what to do.

Connecting on the Field

Dubbed our “ambassadors of fun,” St. Louis Arc’s volunteers are the backbone of many of our programs. In addition to having fun, Arc volunteers are shining examples of our core values – Respect, Collaboration, and Empowerment. As we celebrate Volunteer Appreciation Month, Kim H., a longtime volunteer, shared her story of volunteering with the Arc….

Camper doing crafts and smiling for the camera

Volunteering Continues Connection

Henry is a young and engaging young man who loves the St. Louis Arc’s R&R Camp program. For eight years, Henry spent several weekends a year participating in a variety of recreational and outdoor camp activities. He participated in arts and crafts, made friends, and enjoyed joking around with the camp counselors. This year, however,…

Two men stand and pose for a photo. One man with brown hair, a mustache and beard is wearing a white and grey polo, the other man is clean shaved wearing a hat and a navy pullover.

Community Connection Through Dance

For more than thirty years, Mike P. has been attending the St. Louis Arc Club South Dance. What started as a fun activity to do on Friday nights, has transformed into friendships, purpose, and ongoing community connection.   In the beginning, Mike was an observer at the dances. He listened to the band, and watched others…

A woman, masked in a blue shirt, looks down with her golf club raised to hit the golf ball in front of her. A man, in a white shirt and black shorts, stands with his back to the camera and holds a golf club in his right hand.

In-Person Leisure Programs

The St. Louis Arc is excited to offer programs both in-person and virtually for the fall session! Leisure Services has worked hard to continuously offer opportunities for people with and without disabilities to stay connected and engaged. The Arc is offering options for participants to safely engage in activities in a way they most feel…

Jake sits on a porch swing at his home

Meet Jake

Make An Impact During Giving Tuesday Making Choices, For a Life in the Community Jake Martine will tell you his ultimate goal in life is to “live and dream big.” And to Jake, that means having fun in life, having a job, a home of his own, getting married and having a family, growing big…

Working on Goals

Throughout the pandemic, the St. Louis Arc has been committed to providing quality supports to individuals in the safest way possible for all involved. For most of the St. Louis Arc’s programs, individuals identify goals or outcomes to work toward while they participate in a specific program. These goals are based on a participant’s desire…

art on the gallery wall

Ten Years of Artist in You

This past Friday, a steady stream of participants, family members, Arc staff, art lovers, and gallery patrons gathered at the Green Door Art Gallery in Webster Groves for the opening of “Expressions of Pure Joy”. The exhibit features art curated in the St. Louis Arc’s Artist in You program over the past year. Twenty-four individual…

St. Louis Arc Young Friends

Join the Fun

Make A Difference, Have Fun There are many reasons why people choose to give their time and volunteer for an organization. From students fulfilling volunteer hours to retirees looking to stay connected, volunteers have one thing in common – they want to make a difference. The Arc provides year-round volunteer opportunities to have fun and…