The KIPP St. Louis Wellness Center was launched in the 2024-2025 school year to close the gap between home and school, tackling challenges like chronic absenteeism – by addressing root causes. In Missouri, nearly 22% of students miss at least 10% of school days, with absenteeism soaring to over 35% in urban areas like St. Louis. Against this backdrop, the center’s educators have made a mission of meeting students’ needs beyond academics. 

 “Many children cannot learn if they don’t have their basic needs met,” said Kalyn Collins, Mental Health Professional at KIPP St. Louis. 

The center’s focus goes far beyond academics, ensuring families have the resources and support they need to keep children engaged in school. 

“The whole point of the wellness center is to make sure that families are connected to the most basic needs so that people can thrive and learn and get better and do better every day, ”  Collins said.

“The families feel like they are more supported. They are more likely to come to us, be open with us, and they are more likely to send their child to school when they know that we care about more than just the education,” said Marquelle Anderson, Wellness Coordinator at KIPP St. Louis.  For KIPP, Family Engagement Specialists (FES) serve as a critical bridge between families and schools, helping families access basic needs, but also working with them to ensure they are empowered in their role, and can meaningfully engage in their child’s academic, emotional, and physical development.

The $2,500 RBC grant will help KIPP provide rental assistance, utility support, transportation, and emergency supplies. It builds on KIPP’s model of meeting families where they are—sometimes literally.

Families know they have a trusted partner to turn to in moments of crisis, and KIPP is working to grow those relationships. “We want to continue to help families as much as we can and let them know that we are supporting them,” Anderson said. “And we want to continue to grow holistically and hopefully encourage families and scholars to come to school more often, knowing that we are here to support them outside of education.”

KIPP also invites the wider community to join in its mission. “People are always in need of help, so don’t be afraid to reach out and to donate different things or to ask for help if your family needs it,” Collins said.

KIPP St. Louis is proving that when schools take on the barriers outside the classroom, students thrive inside the classroom. 

This grant is part of The Opportunity Trust’s Reinvention by Community initiative, which empowers the community to choose where and how funding is allocated. Now in its fifth cycle, RBC has invested nearly $300,000 in addressing urgent challenges in and beyond schools. KIPP St. Louis is one of six grantees in the 2025 cycle focused on housing insecurity—a need made even more acute by the May 2025 tornado’s aftermath. With the support of the Reinvention by Community grant, the Wellness Center is helping families stabilize their lives so children can focus on learning, growth, and belonging. 

Are you a community member who wants to make a difference? Whether through donations, partnerships, or simply spreading the word, your involvement can help sustain these vital supports for families experiencing homelessness. Visit kippstl.org to learn more and get connected.

Follow The Opportunity Trust on LinkedIn for more updates on the 2025 Reinvention by Community grantees.