U. City Schools Awarded $95,000 Grant

The global pandemic has presented specific mental health and wellness challenges for The School District of University City’s children, particularly among our African American students. Many of our Black students are dealing not only with a disproportionate number of COVID-19 cases in their social networks, but the ongoing crisis of racism, which has left them more vulnerable to job, housing and food insecurity in disenfranchised areas of University City.

The District saw the stress and trauma in its students and families firsthand this school year, and recognized the need for more intensive mental health and wellness services as students return to school and catch up on learning. The need was essential under the District’s vision of Learning Reimagined which puts racial equity and well-being at the center of its daily work to educate students.

Given that lens, The School District of University City is delighted to announce that the St. Louis Children’s Service Fund Board of Directors has awarded our district $95,000 in emergency grant funding to support student mental health and wellness that will be used from now through the 2021-22 school year.

SDUC was one of 17 agencies/groups to receive the emergency funding from an overall pool of $1.4 million. University City Schools is one of three public school Districts to receive the grant funding. The other districts are Parkway and Valley Park.

This was the first time SDUC has received funding from the Children’s Service Fund. Superintendent Sharonica Hardin-Bartley said the District’s embedded vision of Learning Reimagined has created an established framework to provide resources for student wellness and joy, and that the funding would be easily converted into high-impact, equitable programming free of racial bias that directly supports the District’s students. District service partners will include Alive and Well Communities, Khaos Inc. and The Collective STL.

“We are so very grateful to the Children’s Service Fund for recognizing the double pandemic of COVID-19 and racism and its profound impact on so many of our students,” she said. “We feel strong and confident in our ability to deliver vital mental health services and wellness programs to our students and their families so they can succeed in school and life despite the many profound obstacles put in their path this past year.”

The funding awards were announced on Thursday, April 22.

“We were thoroughly impressed with the innovative programming of these organizations and are proud to help fund their efforts to address the stress and trauma caused by the pandemic,” said Dr. Randall Sterkel, Children’s Service Fund Board Chairman.

For more information, visit www.ucityschools.org.