The Seeds of Power Fellowship Program (SOP) trains youth alumni of Creative Reaction Lab programs to grow a skill set and expand knowledge and experience in facilitation of Equity-Centered Community Design, content development, or charitable giving in order to assess issues of systemic inequity to identify and co-create concrete opportunities for change. Additionally, SOP Fellows will develop other areas such as growing their cultural and racially historical competency, systems-thinking to understand structures of power and inequity, and using their skillset to translate work to action. Opportunities for skill-building and program involvement will evolve with each year of participant engagement to deepen their understanding and capacity to be the Redesigners for Justice™ that we need.

The Artwork for Equity Advocacy Campaign by Creative Reaction Lab empowers young Black and Latinx designers and artists to create original posters that drive change. Launched in 2017, this program not only showcases youth talent but also highlights the transformative power of art, creativity, and civic engagement. Selected participants receive technical design support if necessary. The campaign's objectives include fostering creative confidence, mobilizing collective action, building cultural and historical competency, and empowering youth as influential creators and civic leaders. The artwork is printed on postcards, serving as a medium to demand equitable voting opportunities and inspire civic participation. It demonstrates how artists are designing for a better future.

Creative Reaction Lab established the Community Design Apprenticeship Program (CDAP) to empower Black and Latinx youth who have been directly impacted by the criminal justice system to become civic leaders tackling local racial and health inequities. Over a nine-month period from February to October 2020, six apprentices participated in the program, focusing on addressing food access challenges in the Normandy and Wellston areas of the St. Louis Promise Zone. The apprentices were trained in Creative Reaction Lab's Equity-Centered Community Design and Community Organizing frameworks, receiving funding and support to collaboratively design and implement a civic intervention with community members. The Equity-Centered Community Design process prioritizes equity, humility, history, healing, power dynamics, and co-creation with the community, aiming to dismantle systemic oppression and foster sustained community health, economic opportunities, and social and cultural solidarity.

The 2021-2022 REFRESH Program equips educators of Black, Latinx, and Indigenous youth with tools and skills to amplify young leaders, design racially equitable outcomes, and transform education structures for social healing. Through Creative Reaction Lab's Equity-Centered Design framework, educators implement the When We Create curriculum, fostering equity-centered learning plans and strategies. The program culminates in youth-led interventions addressing racial and health inequities. REFRESH educators act as Design Allies, supporting youth in dismantling disparities through creative collaboration. The program emphasizes improving educators' cultural competency, humility, and civic leadership. By including underrepresented voices, REFRESH aims to address social justice, community development, and civic engagement.

In 2019, Creative Reaction Lab organized the Heartland Education Action Summit, supported by sponsors such as Education First, NoVo Foundation, and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. This virtual three-day event brought together educators from across the country and Canada to address inequities in education. The summit combined Creative Reaction Lab's Equity-Centered Community Design framework with City Garden Montessori's Anti-Bias/Anti-Racist practices and Noble Network of Charter Schools' civic engagement focus. The goal was to prioritize racial equity in education as a long-term outcome. Education plays a crucial role in shaping youth's perceptions, decisions, and quality of life, yet historical racial inequities persist in the U.S. education system.

Creative Reaction Lab's partnership with KP has resulted in increased equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) impact through the implementation of equity-centered programming. This includes the influence of a course that prioritizes lived experiences and address power dynamics, empowering employees to take leadership roles. Additionally, the establishment of Business Resource Groups (BRGs) and Affinity spaces fosters a sense of belonging, provides cultural insights to leaders, and ensures KP is a preferred employer for diverse talent. Through these initiatives, Creative Reaction Lab and KP are actively working to create a more inclusive and equitable organizational culture.

The Contemporary Art Museum of St. Louis (CAM) and Creative Reaction Lab (CRXLAB) collaborated on the Collective Impact project, featuring an interactive exhibition called A Sense of Home. Co-created by CRXLAB through an Equity-Centered Community Design process, the exhibition addressed issues faced by St. Louis communities. Visitors engaged in reflection and action, responding to questions and ideas about immigration, housing, health, and abolition. With a focus on activating the museum as a space for community dialogue, CAM and CRXLAB received a 2-year PNC Arts Alive grant to fund the project. The project aimed to use art and design thinking to identify and share solutions while dismantling systemic oppression and promoting equity for all.

Since 2014, CRXLAB has reached over 1,500 young leaders, 50,000 adult learners, and 100 organizations across 36 states and 62 countries via educational programs centered in equity design learning engagements, activism through art, workforce development, youth-led community organizing, and educational tools. To create systems-wide change, we’re taking two approaches: 1) creating a collaborative youth-led, community-centered movement challenging racial inequities, and 2) transforming the ways that individuals and institutions approach design and equitable decision-making through our creative problem solving process Equity-Centered Community DesignTM and leadership framework Redesigners for JusticeTM.

Creative Reaction Labs is a trailblazing organization driving social change through innovative programs. From the groundbreaking 24-hour challenge that launched CRXLAB to the transformative A4E, YLCF, ECCD, CDAP, and more, our case studies showcase the power of our work. Join us in shaping a more inclusive and equitable world through creative problem-solving.

CRXLAB Seeds of Power Fellowship 2022 was a groundbreaking initiative that nurtured changemakers determined to create a positive impact. This fellowship brought together a diverse cohort of visionary leaders committed to driving social change across various domains. The Impact Report showcases their remarkable journeys, highlighting the transformative projects and initiatives they spearheaded during the program. From empowering marginalized communities to fostering sustainable solutions, the report demonstrates the Fellowship's profound influence on creating a more equitable and inclusive world.