Donation to support Early Childhood Education at Caroline Mission
ST LOUIS, MO – 11/16/2022 – Unleashing Potential received a grant for $12,500 from the Mildred, Herbert and Julian Simon Foundation, which will be used to support Early Childhood Education at Caroline Mission in communities that are plagued with high rates of concentrated poverty, violent crime, un- and under-employment, and homelessness.
High-Quality Early Childhood Education for Children in Distressed Neighborhoods
Children need high-quality early childhood education. Yet at-risk children from distressed neighborhoods are the least likely to access this critical foundational program.
“There are presently not enough affordable Early Childhood Education seats in St. Louis City,” said Patsy Mason, Director of Early Childhood Education at Caroline Mission. “This Mildred, Herbert and Julian Simon Foundation grant will help us fill that gap and prepare children from low-income or high-risk backgrounds, empowering them to pursue their dreams and unleash their potential.”
Unleashing Potential’s Early Childhood Education program is licensed and nationally accredited, providing children ages 6 weeks to 5 years with high-quality education and care. Caroline Mission uses an evidence-based curriculum with the explicit goal of ensuring that the children are equipped to enter kindergarten emotionally, socially and cognitively ready for learning.
To learn more about Unleashing Potential, visit www.upstl.org.
About Unleashing Potential
Unleashing Potential is one of St. Louis’ oldest nonprofits enriching the lives of children (founded originally as Neighborhood Houses in 1913). The mission of Unleashing Potential is to close the opportunity gap for children and youth by building on their strengths. A United Way agency since 1955, Unleashing Potential creates educational and empowering experiences through early childhood education, after school programs, youth development and enrichment camps.
About the Mildred, Herbert and Julian Simon Foundation
The Mildred, Herbert and Julian Simon Foundation is interested in developing projects which will have a significant impact on the St. Louis, Missouri area. It seeks concept papers concerning programs that will meet unique specific community needs and seeks the appropriate organizations to best implement them. The primary focus includes but is not limited to programs which enhance the quality of life of senior citizens and children, with primary consideration given to the needs of the St. Louis Jewish community.
Donation to support Unleashing Potential’s track record of academic and socio-emotional success, as well as expand STEAM programming
ST LOUIS, MO – Unleashing Potential received a Neighbors in Need grant for $6,000 from the Justice and Local Church Ministries of the United Church of Christ. The funds will be used to support Unleashing Potential’s track record of academic and socio-emotional success, as well as expand Science, Technology, Engineering, Cultural Arts and Math (STEAM) programming.
STEAM Program
Through Unleashing Potential’s STEAM programming, more than 600 youth from economically disadvantaged communities in the St. Louis metropolitan area will explore key STEAM concepts in our before- and after-school and summer enrichment programs.
By instilling the belief that STEAM is for everyone, and emphasizing the “4 C’s” of Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking and Creative Play, Unleashing Potential endeavors to increase student and family awareness and knowledge of STEAM education and STEAM career opportunities.
“Inequities in STEAM education start early,” said Darlene Sowell, President and CEO of Unleashing Potential. “This is particularly true in the communities of color where Unleashing Potential’s programs operate. The Neighbors in Need grant will help us make an impact, by starting early with STEAM evidence-based curricula that focuses on the youth’s strengths, including their curiosity about the world to pose questions, predict outcomes and test ideas, and hopefully initiating an interest in future STEAM careers.”
Partnership with the United Church of Christ
Since 2018, Neighbors in Need has awarded 194 organizations. This year, they awarded 30+ organizations that are doing impactful missional work.
“The work that Unleashing Potential is doing to ensure that no at-risk youth of color has to struggle with tuition as they pursue STEAM education is phenomenal,” said Rev. Dr. Aaron Wade, Minister for Congregational Granting. “Because of their stellar approach, they are a recipient yet again of the competitive Neighbors in Need grant award. We are grateful for each of our local churches and covenanted ministers that partner in covenant with the national setting of the United Church of Christ to bring about a just world for all!”
Unleashing Potential has a long history with the United Church of Christ, as it was founded in 1913 by Disciples of Christ and United Church of Christ. Today, Immanuel United Church of Christ (Ferguson), St. Paul United Church of Christ (St. Louis City) and Church of the Master United Church of Christ (Florissant) are partners and serve as host sites for our summer educational programs and staff professional development trainings.
About Unleashing Potential
Unleashing Potential is one of St. Louis’ oldest nonprofits enriching the lives of children, founded originally as Neighborhood Houses in 1913. The mission of Unleashing Potential is to close the opportunity gap for children and youth by building on their strengths. A United Way agency since 1955, Unleashing Potential creates educational and empowering experiences through early childhood education, after school programs, youth development and enrichment camps.
About Neighbors in Need
Neighbors in Need (NIN) is a missional grant of the United Church of Christ that supports ministries of justice and compassion throughout the United States. This grant funds projects whose work ranges from direct service to community organizing and advocacy to address systemic injustice.
ST LOUIS, MO – 11/16/2022 – Unleashing Potential announced today it received a grant for $15,000 from Bayer Fund, a philanthropic arm of Bayer in the U.S., which will be used to provide access, improve proficiency and promote diversity in STEM. Through Unleashing Potential’s STEM programming, more than 600 youth from economically disadvantaged communities in the St. Louis metropolitan area will explore key STEM concepts in our before- and after-school and summer enrichment programs.
“Inequities in STEM education start early,” said Darlene Sowell, President and CEO of Unleashing Potential. “This is particularly true in the communities of color where Unleashing Potential’s programs operate. This Bayer Fund grant will help us make an impact, by starting early with STEM evidence-based curricula that focuses on the youth’s strengths, including their curiosity about the world to pose questions, predict outcomes and test ideas, and hopefully initiating an interest in future STEM careers.”
Thanks to Bayer Fund’s support in 2021 of $15,000, 614 children were able to conduct their own experiments in Quirkles Science curriculum, assemble robots in LEGO ROBOTC curriculum and create their own video games through Bloxels Coding curriculum.
“My child has developed better work habits,” one parent reported. “Their interest in learning has increased, and their confidence in STEM and reading has increased.”
The 2022 grant from Bayer Fund will not only provide support to Unleashing Potential but also the community we serve by allowing us to provide STEM curricula for both elementary and middle school students. By instilling the belief that STEM is for everyone, and emphasizing the “4 C’s” of Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking and Creative Play, Unleashing Potential endeavors to increase student and family awareness and knowledge of STEM education and STEM career opportunities.
“Throughout the years, the grants given through Bayer Fund have helped strengthen our communities across the United States,” said Al Mitchell, President of Bayer Fund. “We’re proud to be able to provide support to develop programs like Unleashing Potential, which has been critical in inspiring future generations for careers in the high-demand STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) field.”
In 2021, Bayer Fund awarded more than $13.1 million to over 3,400 charitable and nonprofit organizations to help address essential needs in Food and Nutrition, STEM Education, and Health & Wellness. Over the last five years, nonprofit organizations across the U.S. have received more than $75 million.
To learn more about Unleashing Potential, visit www.upstl.org.
To learn more about Bayer Fund, visit www.fund.bayer.us.
About Unleashing Potential
Unleashing Potential is one of St. Louis’ oldest nonprofits enriching the lives of children (founded originally as Neighborhood Houses in 1913). The mission of Unleashing Potential is to close the opportunity gap for children and youth by building on their strengths. A United Way agency since 1955, Unleashing Potential creates educational and empowering experiences through early childhood education, after school programs, youth development and enrichment camps.
About Bayer Fund
Bayer Fund, a philanthropic arm of Bayer, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the communities where Bayer customers and employees live and work by providing funding for food and nutrition, education and community development projects.
Unleashing Potential, formerly Neighborhood Houses, has received a $5,000 grant from Ameren Missouri to fund scholarships for families with children enrolled in the Early Childhood Education Center at Caroline Mission. The funds will help bridge the gap between what families can pay and the cost of care for five children.
“Of the 50 families who have children currently enrolled in the Early Childhood Education Center, 44% earn less than $20,000 annually, 15 of those families don’t have adequate housing, and 50% are female-headed households,” says Darlene Sowell, President and CEO of Unleashing Potential.
“Because our families most often work at low-paying jobs or attend school or job training programs, they cannot cover the full cost of care, which averages $8,139 per child,” says Sowell. “Unleashing Potential is thrilled to partner with Ameren Missouri to ensure that a high quality learning environment is accessible to St. Louis families who need it most.”
Children from distressed neighborhoods often lack access to high quality, early childhood learning environments putting them at higher risk of experiencing delays in language, math, cognitive, and social skills development. Studies show that the long-term benefits of early childhood education in young people, particularly those from low-income or high-risk backgrounds, who attended high-quality preschool programs were more likely to graduate from high school, own homes, and ultimately earn up to $2,000 more per month.
Unleashing Potential’s Early Childhood Education Center at Caroline Mission offers licensed and accredited education and care for children ages six weeks to five years old. The Center uses an evidence-based curriculum taught by dedicated, nurturing teachers who guide children as they begin to unleash their potential.
Unleashing Potential, formerly Neighborhood Houses, believes all children can reach their magnificent potential. The nonprofit organization, which dates back to 1913, provides educational and empowering experiences to help close the opportunity gap and offers a continuum of care designed to improve the quality of life for children and families in challenged, under-resourced communities. For more information about Unleashing Potential, please visit www.upstl.org.
