SLATE Strengthens Commitment to City Youth in Response to Violence at CVPA

With sadness, the St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment (SLATE) extends our heartfelt prayers, thoughts, and condolences to the victims, faculty, staff, students, and families of Central Visual and Performing Arts High School (CVPA). Many of you have heard of the devastating school shooting that took place yesterday morning on the school campus. Our hearts break every time we lose our children - our future, to gun violence persisting in our communities.

In this time of sorrow for the untimely loss of young lives, we find consolation in our stout, indestructible partnership with the St. Louis Public Schools, founded upon our joint unwavering commitment to the success of young men and women living in our city. We also reflect upon a special bond we established with CVPA - many students enrolled in our youth programs are current CVPA students or alumni. Our agency, therefore, stands ready to assist those affected by this tragedy with the resources necessary for them to thrive and succeed beyond this unfortunate setback.

“No parent or family member should ever have to worry that when they drop their child or loved one off at what is supposed to be one of the most sacred and safest places in our society, they may not return home. More than ever, we must continue to lift our voices, take action, and be proactive in our communities in ensuring the safety of our children,” said Fredrecka McGlown, Executive Director of SLATE. 

We are forever grateful to the faculty, staff, and administration of CVPA for their courage during the incident and for taking the steps and measures necessary to ensure the safety of the students. Last but not least, our appreciation goes to the first responders, whose bravery and timeliness resulted in de-escalating the situation and saving innocent lives.

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SLATE is the City of St. Louis government agency that offers job seekers and businesses a variety of no-cost services related to employment, job training, and career advancement. For more information, visit SLATE online at www.stlworks.com. For questions, call (314) 589-8000.