11/03/25
Generational Change: Cross-Sector Partnership Expanding Career Pathways for St. Louis Students
BELIEVE St. Louis Academy has been selected as one of only twelve schools nationally to receive a $10 million investment from Bloomberg Philanthropies for its innovative health care curriculum developed in partnership with BJC HealthCare. The announcement comes as the school celebrates the opening of its new 53,000-square-foot campus near Harris-Stowe State University—complete with a BJC Simulation & Learning Lab designed to give students early, hands-on clinical experience. In their new home, BELIEVE will grow to serve more than 400 students from across. St. Louis. This partnership, first catalyzed through The Opportunity Trust’s leadership, has now emerged as a national model for how education, philanthropy, and industry can unite to expand opportunity and strengthen local communities.
A Generational Bridge to St. Louis’ Health Care Future
”We are excited to open this new campus and home for BELIEVE St. Louis Academy,” said Jenny Sharfstein Kane who leads Career and Technical Education at Bloomberg Philanthropies. “This represents an incredible collaboration across public and private partners all aiming to provide students with more high-quality
options and opportunities following high school.”
The recent ribbon-cutting at BELIEVE Academy brought together community members as well as leaders from education, philanthropy, and health care to celebrate the opening of their new building. Two years ago, BELIEVE Academy launched a pilot program connecting high school students with real-world health care experiences at BJC HealthCare facilities. Within that first year, 80% of BELIEVE students expressed interest in pursuing health care careers, which sparked the idea of a new, innovative high school model in partnership with the healthcare industry that could bring together career-connected learning and workforce development. With an initial planning grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies, this cross-sector collaboration was launched.
”By connecting and coordinating with Bloomberg Philanthropies, BJC HealthCare, and BELIEVE Academy, we helped to enable this transformative investment in St. Louis. Now together we’re building a new model to expand educational opportunity and strengthen our community that is being replicated in other communities across the nation,” said Eric Scroggins, Founder and CEO of The Opportunity Trust.
The success of that planning year and support from The Opportunity Trust have led Bloomberg Philanthropies to make an additional $10 million investment through its Student-Centered, Market-Driven Health Care Education Initiative —allowing the BELIEVE-BJC partnership to scale and sustain over the next three years.
Strengthening St. Louis Through Education and Equity
BELIEVE Academy is part of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ national initiative to create healthcare-focused high schools in 12 communities around the country and is supported by a $10 million investment. This first-of-its-kind approach partners health systems with high schools and aims to equip students with the skills and credentials needed to graduate directly into the healthcare workforce. As part of the initiative, each school will offer specialized healthcare classes, work-based learning at the partner health system, and the opportunity for students to earn industry-valued credentials and certifications.
Together, these partners are building more than a workforce pipeline—they’re creating pathways to economic opportunity that strengthen families and the region. This partnership prepares local students to fill thousands of unfilled healthcare positions while addressing BJC’s staffing needs and increasing access to livable wage jobs for graduates.
“Bloomberg Philanthropies’ generous new investment is fueling our ability to invest in our St. Louis community to advance health and education equity,” says Steven Player, BJC vice president of Belonging and Inclusion. “This is an opportunity for BJC to expose students to health care careers, while also providing them with the prospect of meaningful employment, ideally within BJC, where they can continue to thrive. Together with our community partners, we’re creating a ripple effect of healthier communities, stronger families, and a workforce where everyone has the opportunity to achieve their greatest potential. That’s a win we can all feel good about.”
The work aligns with BJC’s Community Health Improvement strategy, which focuses on education equity, social determinants of health, and investment in underserved St. Louis communities. By combining BELIEVE’s school model, BJC’s clinical resources, funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies, and The Opportunity Trust’s convening role, the partnership is creating meaningful connections between educational opportunity and career pathways.
“From the classroom to clinical settings, these talented students are on their way to creating stable, meaningful careers that will make our region’s hospitals stronger and improve the health of our entire community,” said John Lynch, MD, group president of BJC HealthCare and president of Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
Inside the New BELIEVE Academy Campus
BELIEVE’s new 53,000-square-foot campus at 100 S. Garrison Avenue features a BJC Simulation & Learning Lab where students gain hands-on experience taught by BJC staff and faculty from the Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing – leading to industry-recognized patient care tech certification.
As Kimberly Neal-Brannum, BELIEVE’s founder, put it: “Exposure sparks ambition. When our students see what’s possible, they believe in themselves—and that belief changes everything.”
Through dual-enrollment with St. Louis Community College, Harris-Stowe State University, and Missouri Southern State University, students earn college credit while still in high school—saving families both time and tuition costs. In the program’s first year, BELIEVE students collectively saved more than $50,000 in college expenses at St. Louis Community College alone, with more than a third on track to complete an associate degree by graduation. Through Next Prep, an initiative of The Opportunity Trust, students also access career exploration, employability skill training, and internships with local employers.
As enrollment surpasses 200 students, BELIEVE plans to double to serve 400 students by 2028.
A Model for What’s Possible
With BELIEVE’s new campus and Bloomberg Philanthropies’ investment, St. Louis is now part of a national network redefining high school education and being replicated across the country.
“This partnership demonstrates what’s possible when a trusted intermediary like The Opportunity Trust bridges national philanthropy, ecosystem expertise, and local partners seeking to innovate,” said Scroggins.
BELIEVE Academy’s growth proves that when communities, health systems, and philanthropy work together, they can begin to change the trajectory of a city. Learn more at theopportunitytrust.org.
BELIEVE St. Louis Academy’s Groundbreaking Partnership with BJC Healthcare and Bloomberg Leads St. Louis into the Future of Healthcare Education
BELIEVE St. Louis Academy’s Groundbreaking Partnership with BJC Healthcare and Bloomberg Leads St. Louis into the Future of Healthcare Education
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