At SIM, we believe that giving back to the community is an integral part of our mission. When we strengthen our community, we help strengthen its economic stability, provide a nurturing environment for the rich development of our youth, and promote growth in technological advantage and entrepreneurship within the community.
*From the 2006 & 2007 SIM Golf Tournament proceeds
ARF – ARF saves dogs and cats who have run out of time at public shelters and brings people and animals together to enrich each other's lives. ARF strives to create a world where every loving dog and cat has a home, where every lonely person has a companion animal, and where children learn to care.
ARF is a national leader in the animal welfare industry co-founded by Elaine and Tony La Russa in 1991. Headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, the nonprofit receives no government funding and is an accredited four-star charity. ARF’s core mission is the rescue of dogs and cats who have run out of time at public shelters, giving them a chance at life until a new home can be found. ARF couples this focus with innovative programs strengthening the human-animal bond for children, seniors, veterans, and people in disadvantaged circumstances. Through ARF, people experience the unconditional love and acceptance of dogs and cats to fulfill a mission of “People Rescuing Animals…Animals Rescuing People…”®
BackStoppers – Started in 1959, The BackStoppers provides needed financial assistance and support to the spouses and dependent children of all police officers, firefighters and volunteer firefighters, and publicly-funded paramedics and EMTs in our coverage area who have lost their lives or suffered a catastrophic injury performing their duty. The BackStoppers continues to support the surviving spouse unless or until he or she remarries, and supports the surviving children until they reach age 21 or complete their post-secondary education. Deaths from natural causes, illnesses, or injuries are outside the organization’s scope. The BackStoppers currently supports 76 families with 63 dependent children and has supported 155 families since 1959
Big Brothers / Big Sisters – Create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth.
Boys & Girls Club of St. Louis – The mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis (BGCSTL) is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens. BGCSTL provides after-school, teen, sports and summer programs to youth across the Bi-State Region while also providing a safe place for them to learn and grow. The Clubs serve youth across the region at twelve locations, including (Adams Park Club, Boys & Girls Club of Bethalto, Boys & Girls Club of Lovejoy, Hazelwood Elementary School Club, Herbert Hoover Club, Mathews-Dickey Club, Normandy High School, O’Fallon Park Club, Riverview Gardens Club, Roosevelt High School, Hazelwood Southeast Middle School Club and the Teen Center of Excellence). We also operate the Mentor St. Louis and St. Louis Internship programs.
Boys Hope / Girls Hope – Boys Hope Girls Hope helps academically capable and motivated children-in-need to meet their full potential and become men and women for others by providing value-centered, family-like homes, opportunities and education through college.
Boys Hope Girls Hope of St. Louis is a privately funded, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization which operates two family-like residential homes and, as of September 2011, has grown to include a community-based program in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Our mission is to help academically capable and motivated children-in-need to meet their full potential and become men and women for others by providing value-centered, family-like homes, opportunities and education through college.
We help children facing serious familial and environmental barriers overcome their compromising circumstances and grow into educated and responsible individuals who enrich their families, their workplaces and their communities. We admit the youth into our opportunity rich, academically focused home environment between the ages of ten and fifteen. Our scholars have average or above academic capacity as per pre-admission psycho-educational assessments. However, due to school and home transience and lack of educational support, they often have significant learning gaps. We tailor academic and whole person programming to meet the needs of each individual scholar. Over time, our programming instills a goal setting, achievement orientation. The scholars become equipped with the emotional, social and life-skill competency for success in the college setting and beyond.
As a privately funded agency, Boys Hope Girls Hope of St. Louis relies on our friends and supporters to make our programs possible. SIM St Louis’ support would allow us to increase our technology capacity and pay for Internet services for the year, along with minor scholar computer repairs.
Cardinals Care – The St. Louis Cardinals Community Relations Department and the team’s non-profit foundation, Cardinals Care, are dedicated to caring for kids! This mission statement is achieved through numerous programs backed by our players, coaches, staff, volunteers, sponsors, and especially our loyal fans. Thanks to their generous assistance, Cardinals Care has distributed nearly $18 million to support St. Louis area non-profit youth organizations, built 19 youth ball fields in local disadvantaged neighborhoods and served over 4,500 kids per season as part of the Redbird Rookies program since its inception in 1997. We strive to improve the lives of hundreds more children every year.
Connections to Success – At Connections to Success, we know it takes more than a suit to empower someone on a path towards economic independence. That’s why we offer a range of services to support the whole person. Our participants are ready to build a promising future for themselves and their children, for generations to come. We provide hope, resources and a plan for people to overcome barriers to employment. When participants complete our training and secure jobs, they immediately begin to contribute to the economy. Our results are measurable and the impact is undeniable.
Creative Comebacks (BounceBack) – When early signs of an impending recession hit the local economy the St. Louis Chapter of SIM joined a nascent public-private partnership dedicated to re-engaging and retaining valuable IT talent in the St. Louis area. Among the founding partners of the "Bounceback St. Louis” initiative were the St. Louis Regional Chamber & Growth Association, the Missouri Department of Economic Development, and several HR, outplacement, and many other stakeholders. BounceBack served 1,100 people in the fiscal year that ended on June 30, 2010, offering help with job-hunting basics such as resumes and interviewing skills for highly skilled and highly educated professionals whose jobs were lost in the recession and won't be coming back.
Curriki – Curriki originated from the idea that technology can play a crucial role in breaking down the barriers of the Education Divide—the gap between those who have access to high-quality education and those who do not. Curriki helps bridge this divide by providing free and open resources to everyone.
With a community of over 10 million global users, Curriki encourages collaboration of diverse experiences from around the world to develop “best of breed” learning resources (peer-reviewed and classroom tested) and to create a culture of continuous improvement. Join today. It’s free. Curriki is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation.
Curriki’s mission is to eliminate the Education Divide – the gap between those who have access to high-quality education and those who do not – in the U.S. and worldwide. Its online community of educators, learners, and committed education experts works together to build and share quality materials that benefit teachers, parents, and students globally.
DonorsChoose.org – We were started by a history teacher. In 2000, Charles Best, a teacher at a Bronx public high school, wanted his students to read Little House on the Prairie. As he was making photocopies of the one book he could procure, Charles thought about all the money he and his colleagues were spending on books, art supplies, and other materials. And he figured there were people out there who'd want to help — if they could see where their money was going. Charles sketched out a website where teachers could post classroom project requests, and donors could choose the ones they wanted to support. His colleagues posted the first 11 requests. Then it spread. Today, we're open to every public school in America.
We make it easy for anyone to help a classroom in need, moving us closer to a nation where students in every community have the tools and experiences they need for a great education.
Edgewood – We know that the road to recovery requires treating the whole person ... medically, emotionally, socially and spiritually. Our treatment program brings a variety of specialists and services, and is based on the 12-Step Alcoholics Anonymous approach. The goal is total abstinence from addictive substances along with positive changes in behavior. We have helped thousands of people break free from chemical dependency to lead better, fuller lives.
The English Tutoring Project – Grounded in Catholic tradition and social teachings, the English Tutoring Project (ETP) provides on-site assistance to children from refugee and immigrant families to acquire English language skills in an environment where all children experience respect for themselves and their culture. ETP is an initiative of the St. Louis Area Women Religious Collaborative Ministries.
Family Forward – Family Forward is the result of a merger between Children’s Home Society of Missouri and Family Resource Center, two of St. Louis’ most accomplished and leading-edge non-profit organizations. With 170 years of combined experience helping children and families, the agencies united in April 2017 from positions of strength to better serve the community.
Family Forward’s highly skilled staff, evidence-based practices, and strong partnerships with leading educational institutions and researchers positions the agency to utilize innovative tools and practices to formulate better insights and achieve better outcomes for children and families.
Family Forward moves vulnerable children in the direction of hope by delivering comprehensive therapeutic and educational services to support biological, foster, and adoptive families.
First St. Louis – FIRST'S mission is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.
Fontbonne University Scholarship Endowment – SIM and G2I has endowed a scholarship for students pursuing a degree in Information Technology. Students can apply for Foundation scholarships directly through their campus financial aid offices. These funds are made possible by the generosity of donors to the foundation. Major donor groups include friends of the college, faculty, staff, students, alumni, retired employees, board members, corporations and foundations. Their generosity helps hundreds of students who would not otherwise be able to attend college.
Gateway PGA Reach Foundation – The Gateway PGA REACH Foundation is the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation of the Gateway PGA Section (Central & Eastern MO and Southern IL), one of 41 geographical sections of the PGA of America. By inspiring and directing the resources of our golfing community, we will positively impact at-risk individuals, with a particular emphasis on youth. Our assistance will help them experience success both inside and outside the classroom, resulting in higher school attendance, increased academic success and graduation rates. For our region’s veterans, we will provide opportunities toassist in their rehabilitation and reintegration.
GlobalHack – Launched in 2013 by three St. Louis entrepreneurs (Gabe Lozano, CEO, LockerDome; Drew Winship, CEO, Juristat; Travis Sheridan, Executive Director, Venture Cafe), GlobalHack’s mission of building a better tech ecosystem is quickly being realized today. We believe that showing entrepreneurs that the best way to create value starts by solving real-world problems.
In 2016 we launched our education programs, which aim to build the next generation of tech talent here in St. Louis. Through these programs, we provide students with hands-on experiences around computer science by showing them how fun, creative, and empowering coding can be.
GlobalHack drives social impact through technology. We organize events that kickstart community-focused software projects and deliver accessible computer science education opportunities for kids.
Harris-Stowe State University Scholarship Endowment – SIM and G2I has endowed a scholarship for students pursuing a degree in Information Technology. Students can apply for Foundation scholarships directly through their campus financial aid offices. These funds are made possible by the generosity of donors to the foundation. Major donor groups include friends of the college, faculty, staff, students, alumni, retired employees, board members, corporations and foundations. Their generosity helps hundreds of students who would not otherwise be able to attend college
Haven House St. Louis – Since its beginnings in 2005, HavenHouse St. Louis has provided full-service support to patients of all ages and conditions. Patients and their families are free to seek treatment from any St. Louis hospital without needing to overcome extra hurdles. In that time, we've served more than 38,800 patients. Over 64,800 caregivers stayed alongside those patients. Together, that's nearly 104,000 people. We hope to help so many more!
Hawthorn Leadership School for Girls – Hawthorn Leadership School for Girls provides a safe, nurturing and stimulating environment that enables young women from diverse backgrounds to achieve academic success in a college preparatory program and to become leaders in their communities and professions.
Head for the Cure – The mission of Head for the Cure is to raise awareness and funding to inspire hope for the community of brain cancer patients, their families, friends, caregivers and other supporters, while celebrating their courage, spirit and energy.
Innovate St. Louis – Innovate St. Louis is a catalyst for the entrepreneurial ecosystem in St. Louis through a variety of initiatives, keeping the entrepreneur at the center of everything we do:
- We communicate the progress of the entrepreneurial movement in St. Louis to the larger public to celebrate our collective successes and stimulate additional startup activity and capital formation.
- We help to create vibrant entrepreneur centered communities where entrepreneurs, investors, and relevant stakeholders can connect to accelerate the success of new ventures.
- We develop and assist entrepreneurs through our two flagship mentoring programs, Innovate Venture Mentoring Service (IVMS) and the IT Entrepreneur Network (ITEN)
IT Coalition – The Information Technology Coalition of Innovate St. Louis was established in 2006 with the mission to further the economic development and vitality of the St. Louis region by: mobilizing and leveraging existing assets and talent; promoting innovation, entrepreneurship and work force enhancement; and attracting new investment in the information technology sector. The membership of the St. Louis IT Coalition consists of educators, entrepreneurs, and business leaders throughout the metro region.
IT Entrepreneur Network (ITEN) – ITEN was founded in April 2008 to be the catalyst of the St. Louis region’s IT startup ecosystem. We accelerate scalable tech startups with programs for rapid product development, connections to talent, essential networking, and access to funding. The core of our value proposition is enabling experienced entrepreneurs to help other entrepreneurs build successful, growing tech ventures. These critical connections are formed through direct mentoring access, a curriculum of graduated acceleration programs, and our weekly and monthly networking programs.
KETC – Trusted independent media give voice and vision to a democratic society. In St. Louis, the Nine Network serves that purpose—engaging and entertaining the community with the diversity of ideas, issues, discourse and experiences that inform our present, guide our future and illuminate a wider world.
Our distinction as a public media organization lies in our mission, our vision and our values. We provide quality content because it strengthens civic life. We remain independent because we believe it is the basis of trust. We are committed to engagement because it fosters a healthy community. We believe in making our content easily accessible, because the more people we engage, the greater our value becomes. We want to create sound business models, because we want to continue our good work. We want to connect our citizens with one another because we believe it is important to bring St. Louis together. We believe that if we succeed in our mission, we will ignite the spirit of possibility in St. Louis.
Launch Code – LaunchCode is a non-profit organization that creates pathways to economic opportunity and upward mobility through apprenticeships and job placement in technology. LaunchCode is building a skilled workforce by creating pathways for driven people seeking careers in technology. We are helping jobseekers enter the tech field by providing accessible education, training and paid apprenticeship job placement.
Millions of Americans are unemployed, and many more are stuck in low-wage job cycles which leave them struggling to find jobs offering livable salaries, employable skills, and a chance for advancement. American businesses also have a problem — there just isn’t enough traditional tech talent to match the growing demand. The US Department of Labor predicts this situation will only worsen, leaving 1 million programming jobs unfilled by 2020. These jobs are spread all over the economy, making products and services like your mobile phone, satellite television, and online searches just...work.
Back in 2013, Square’s Jim McKelvey founded LaunchCode to address these problems. Jim experienced the lack of talent firsthand while trying to get his new company Square started in his hometown of St. Louis, MO. Eventually Jim moved Square to California for access to skilled workers, but knew there must be some way to connect the city’s rising unemployment with its shortage of tech talent. LaunchCode was founded in 2013 to help companies find skilled, new tech talent from all backgrounds and walks of life.
Lift for Life Academy – In 2000, Lift For Life Academy (LFLA) became the first independent charter middle school to open in the City of St. Louis. Sponsored by Southeast Missouri State University, our Academy is centrally located at 1731 South Broadway, in the historic Soulard neighborhood.
The Academy, located in what was originally the Manfacturers Bank and Trust building, then later a Mercantile Bank, was established to provide an education to middle school students. It is now serving 580 students in grades 6-12. The classrooms for our sixth grade students are located across the street from our main building.
St. Louis city families choose Lift for Life Academy for their children as a creative and motivating alternative to public schools. Our first class of seniors graduated in 2012 and are now graduating and beginning to work or further pursuing their education. LFLA maintains a graduation rate of 94+%. This May, 73 of 74 seniors graduated. More than four out of five of these graduates were accepted into college, technical school and/or the military, earning over $1.5 million in scholarships!
Logos School – As a school we provide hope and a path to success for struggling students and their families in a safe ethical environment. Through education and therapy, our students gain acceptance and a promising future. Accomplished through:
- Flexible Academics
- Innovative Therapy
- Parental Involvement
Loyola Academy of St. Louis – Loyola Academy of St. Louis is a Jesuit middle school for boys who have the potential for college preparatory work, but whose progress may be impeded by economic or social circumstances. The Loyola community conducts a challenging program that supports families in preparing each student to achieve his full human potential. In the Ignatian tradition, the school inspires its students to lives of service and leadership through the use of their God-given talents.
Make-A-Wish Foundation - A wish experience can be a game-changer for a child with a life-threatening medical condition.
This one belief guides us in everything we do at Make-A-Wish®. It inspires us to grant wishes that change the lives of the kids we serve. It compels us to be creative in exceeding the expectations of every wish kid. It drives us to make our donated resources go as far as possible. Most of all, it's the founding principle of our vision to grant the wish of every eligible child.
Wishes are more than just a nice thing. And they are far more than gifts, or singular events in time. Wishes impact everyone involved - wish kids, volunteers, donors, sponsors, medical professionals and communities. The impact varies. For wish kids, just the act of making their wish come true can give them the courage to comply with their medical treatments. Parents might finally feel like they can be optimistic. And still others might realize all they have to offer the world through volunteer work or philanthropy. Whatever the odds, whatever the obstacles ... wishes find a way to make the world better. “We grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.”
Marian Middle School – Founded by seven communities of Catholic sisters and several lay women in 1999, Marian Middle School is the only all-girls private middle school in the St. Louis community serving urban adolescent youth in a faith-based environment.
Marian Middle School, a Catholic school welcoming adolescent girls of all backgrounds, is committed to breaking the cycle of poverty through education. Marian fosters each student’s spiritual, academic, social, moral, emotional, and physical development from middle school through post-secondary education as a foundation for career success. Marian Middle School is a leader in providing life-altering education. Marian Middle School graduates are accomplished young women equipped to make informed decisions and create enduring, positive change.
Meacham Park Neighborhood Improvement – The Meacham Park Neighborhood Improvement Association is a 501(c)-3 Public Charity whose mission is to help improve the quality of life in Historic Meacham Park; a southeastern neighborhood of Kirkwood, Missouri. The Association seeks to build community by providing a forum for sharing information, connecting neighbors, promoting activities, and fostering civic involvement in our diverse community.
Midwest CYBER Center – Our mission is to close the cybersecurity skills gap by training the workforce of today and inspiring the workforce of tomorrow. We envision a world where people from all backgrounds pursue successful cybersecurity careers, eliminating the cybersecurity skills gap and creating a safe and secure digital environment for our government, military, businesses, and nonprofits.
MIT CAIT Scholarship – The Technology & Leadership Center (formally known as CAIT) is a not-for-profit organization within Washington University in St. Louis that serves as the center for information technology (IT) leaders in the St. Louis region. Our purpose is to help organizations make continuous advancements in productivity and enhance the region's competitiveness as a thriving, world-class IT community. We accomplish this by providing the forum for IT executive interaction and the highest quality IT training & professional development opportunities, leveraging the resources of Washington University, local IT leaders, and experts and vendors throughout the country.
NPower – NPower creates pathways to economic prosperity by launching digital careers for military veterans and young adults from underserved communities.
In today’s economy, over 50% of all jobs require some degree of technology and digital skill, and this is expected to grow to 77% by 2020 in the U.S. Yet the job market is not keeping pace. Of the nearly 6 million jobs expected to require tech skills in the future, labor statistics project a candidate pool of only 3.2 million. NPower currently operates in New York, Texas, California, Maryland, Toronto, New Jersey and St. Louis
NPower envisions a future where our domestic technology workforce is diverse, and clear pathways exist for all people regardless of ethnicity, gender, or socio-economic background to succeed in our digital economy.
R7 Blue Jay Foundation – Jefferson R-7 Blue Jay Foundation, Inc. is a tax exempt organization that was formed years ago to help support the Jefferson R-7 School District.
Ranken Technical College – Ranken Technical College is a private, non-profit, degree-granting institution of higher learning whose primary mission is to provide the comprehensive education and training necessary to prepare students for employment and advancement in a variety of technical fields.
SIM St. Louis Community Involvement – The St. Louis chapter of the Society for Information Management has a long standing tradition of involvement at the community level. Our focus in furthering education and career building in Information Technology is carried out through various efforts with members donating time and funds to related activities and events on a regular basis. Listed below are just some examples of the work that has been done. Our partnerships in St. Louis include BounceBack St. Louis (info below), The Information Technology Coalition, Connections to Success, Therapeutic Horsemanship and Washington University’s Center for Application of Information Technology (CAIT). These partnerships strengthen our position in the community as well as provide for great events and activities that give back to the community and help to keep everyone up to date on current trends and activities in the IT market. In addition to those partnerships our membership regularly seeks out events and activities to contribute to that strengthen our community and help those who are less fortunate and in need.
SIM Individual Scholarships – SIM and its Chapters continue to recognize the importance of reaching out to influence college students’ choice of major. But they have also recognized the need to engage students much earlier in their education. SIM Chapters have begun to participate and sponsor STEM initiatives across the K – College level spectrum. This has included Chapter partnerships with YearUp, donations nearing $200,000 annually in college scholarships and a mix of locally designed and national programs such as: "IT for Girls," "icStars," "NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing," "CyberGirlz Technology Camp," and various other Teen Tech Camps.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville – SIM and G2I has endowed a scholarship for students pursuing a degree in Information Technology. Students can apply for Foundation scholarships directly through their campus financial aid offices. These funds are made possible by the generosity of donors to the foundation. Major donor groups include friends of the college, faculty, staff, students, alumni, retired employees, board members, corporations and foundations. Their generosity helps hundreds of students who would not otherwise be able to attend college.
Special Olympics - The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. We give them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and share personal skills, gifts of spirit, and friendship with their families, their fellow Special Olympics athletes, and the world. In all that we do, Special Olympics strives to awaken the world to the precious abilities and dignity of every human being.
Springboard to Learning – Springboard to Learning believes that meaningful, memorable learning experiences transform a child’s worldview. It is this belief that fuels our mission to develop children’s abilities to think critically, create, collaborate and communicate. Springboard to Learning envisions a future where all children are passionate, engaged learners who experience success.
With a combined history of over 100 years as Springboard to Learning and Young Audiences of St. Louis, Springboard to Learning has positively impacted millions of under-resourced students and teachers throughout St. Louis through creative programming and pedagogy, igniting a love of learning. Springboard to Learning was established in the St. Louis Public School District in 1965 by Elise Schweich to help students experience world-wide arts and cultures. After 41 years, Springboard to Learning expanded by merging with Young Audiences of St. Louis in 2006.
St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic School – St. Gabriel the Archangel School seeks to provide excellence in elementary education (K-8). As part of St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish, we strive to enrich our students spiritually and academically so they will be, like our patron saint, messengers of the Good News wherever they go.
SIM and G2I made a contribution to help in their efforts to purchase a Google Expedition Kit for our technology curriculum, introducing the world of Virtual Reality. As I am the technology teacher at St. Gabes, I want to provide all of our students unique learning opportunities that use technology to build on their learning. Since a class kit is $8,500, I am working with community members to get the rest of the balance financed through some further fundraising. We anticipate on having a Google Expedition kit within the next two months. And, the students and I are so excited to be able to use this technology to deepen our computation skills, inquiry and problem solving skills.
STLCC Scholarship Endowment – SIM and G2I has endowed a scholarship for students pursuing a degree in Information Technology. Students can apply for Foundation scholarships directly through their campus financial aid offices. These funds are made possible by the generosity of donors to the foundation. Major donor groups include friends of the college, faculty, staff, students, alumni, retired employees, board members, corporations and foundations. Their generosity helps hundreds of students who would not otherwise be able to attend college.
STLCC/The SoulFisher Ministries – The mission of The SoulFisher Ministries is to respond to the needs of youth with incarcerated parents and to promote restorative justice for those currently and formerly incarcerated.
The vision of The SoulFisher Ministries is to embrace the world in a network of charity as defined in the Word of God. We desire to see young people educated and empowered to succeed in life and broken lives and homes re-established through education, job training and employment, computer literacy, and transitional housing. Our ultimate goal is to re-empower those formerly incarcerated to be productive influences in their family and community and to help break the cycle of the school-to-prison pipeline.
The Biome STEAM School – Discover The Biome, a unique and innovative K-3 charter school which will be adding 4th grade next year. The Biome is located in the Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis – an area rich in history and culture, noted for its architecture, art galleries, restaurants, and top-rated research hospitals, as well as the World Chess Hall of Fame. The Biome offers a supportive, flexible and student-centered learning ecosystem driven by our students’ unique gifts, talents and interests. Utilizing our Schoolwide Enrichment Model, we help students identify and cultivate their strengths and areas of expertise.
Through our specially developed STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) curriculum and engaging, hands-on opportunities for students, we empower them to explore with confidence and apply their critical thinking skills and knowledge to the real world.
Our location provides exciting opportunities to extend our students’ cultural learning. The Biome is just minutes from some of St. Louis’ top universities, cultural institutions and a rapidly developing innovation corridor, where a multitude of STEAM-focused businesses and organizations are thriving and growing.
We invite you to explore The Biome, our school model, our team and more.
The Little Bit Foundation – It all began with a coat and a smile. After handing out coats collected for a St. Louis inner city elementary school in the winter of 2001, a student approached me grinning ear to ear exclaiming, “My dad will be so happy about my new coat!” I’d noticed the young man arriving earlier on the school bus wearing a coat that dragged along the pavement – hardly warm and snug – and thought to myself that it was most likely his father’s hand-me-down. In that moment, I knew my life’s purpose.
At the time, I had no idea of the depth of poverty over 173,000 children must overcome just minutes from my home. Children who are curious, funny and warm, who hope and dream like any other, and whose futures depend on what they are able to do with their education. But consider the obstacles they face. Many go without shoes that fit or clean underwear and socks. They come to school with little more than shirts in the winter months and go home to empty food cabinets. They aren’t prepared with school supplies or have a book to call their own. Many have undiagnosed health conditions or vision problems that go uncorrected. Some are homeless, touched by violence and constantly on the move. How much can we expect them to concentrate in class or feel good about themselves?
This became the mission of The Little Bit Foundation: to remove obstacles standing in front of the greatest opportunity students have to end the cycle of poverty – their education. It’s providing for basic needs, such as shoes, coats, uniforms, underwear and socks, books and school supplies. It’s ensuring students have a nutritious meal after the school day, receive instruction in personal and dental hygiene, have access to medical screenings and mental health intervention. We are about helping students see and present themselves in a positive light, ensuring they are comfortable and content in the classroom, and uplifting them with words of encouragement and the knowledge that someone cares and believes in them.
We are The Little Bit Foundation, and I encourage you to join our incredible, life-changing journey!
The MASTERS – The Missouri Association of State Troopers Emergency Relief Society “The MASTERS” was formed in 1979 for the purpose of establishing an entirely voluntary benevolent fund for the financial aid of a trooper’s immediate surviving family member (wife or husband) and children if he or she is killed in the line of duty. The surviving family member is paid immediately a certain sum of money to help with their unexpected short-term expenses. Directors of The MASTERS from that area take the troopers’ family under their protective guidance, and from this fund help solve their financial problems. The MASTERS assists with funeral expenses, loan payments, mortgage payments and immediate bills. It also provides scholarships for the officer’s dependent children and the surviving spouse.
TREE House of Greater St. Louis – The mission of the TREE House of Greater St. Louis is to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities and their families through therapy, recreation, education, and exploration.
T-REX - Like a magnet, T-REX attracts innovation to downtown St. Louis, Missouri. A coworking space and technology incubator, we offer a blank canvas—a space where ideas are conceived and brought to fruition. We’ve worked to create an environment that serves as a network of creativity, where abstraction finds clarity amongst a collection of bright and dedicated minds. Hovering above a vivacious, animated city, we’re now home to a growing community of entrepreneurs, developers, designers, mentors, educators and more. We welcome all ambitious minds.
UMSL Extreme IT – Xtreme IT! began in Spring 2008 to reach out to high school students who might be interested in careers in information systems. This summer academy is a week long program in which students will be exposed to a range of IT applications as well as experience life in dorm living and at a University. More high school students will now have an opportunity to learn about careers in information technology thanks to a generous grant from the SIM giveback program. This grant SIM St Louis gave will be used to support pre-collegiate summer academy at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. Xtreme IT! introduces the field of information systems to the younger generation and exposes them to the wide range of possible career choices available. It highlights the fact that IS/IT is no longer "heads down programming in a cubicle.” The goal of the program is to introduce the range of opportunities across all kinds of industries and to encourage the students to pursue careers in IS/IT. This grant will be used to attract women and minorities to the camp, especially those with financial need, in an effort to increase their interest in, and pursuit of a career in information systems.
UMSL Scholarship Endowment – SIM and G2I has endowed a scholarship for students pursuing a degree in Information Technology. Students can apply for Foundation scholarships directly through their campus financial aid offices. These funds are made possible by the generosity of donors to the foundation. Major donor groups include friends of the college, faculty, staff, students, alumni, retired employees, board members, corporations and foundations. Their generosity helps hundreds of students who would not otherwise be able to attend college.
United Cerebral Palsy Heartland (UCPH) – Founded in 1953, United Cerebral Palsy Heartland (UCP) is a nonprofit, charitable organization dedicated to supporting individuals with cerebral palsy and other disabilities, including Down Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder, physical and developmental disabilities and traumatic brain injury. UCP Heartland is committed to change and progress for children and adults with disabilities, whether it is a disability manifested from birth, the result of an accident or as a consequence of aging.
The mission of UCP Heartland is to provide the highest quality of programs, services and supports while advancing the independence, productivity and full citizenship of individuals with disabilities in Central and Eastern Missouri and Southwestern Illinois. UCP Heartland provides five primary services, including Children’s Services, Family Support Services, Adult Day Services, Residential Services and Employment Services.
UCP Heartland is a proud United Way Agency and reputable nonprofit that has been serving the needs of people with disabilities in our community since 1953. UCP Heartland meets the standards of the Better Business Bureau, and is audited annually by an outside accounting firm. More than 85% of funds given to UCP go directly toward program services. UCP Heartland is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. All donations are tax deductible as allowed by law.
Washington University – Washington University in St. Louis’ mission is to discover and disseminate knowledge, and protect the freedom of inquiry through research, teaching and learning. Washington University creates an environment to encourage and support an ethos of wide-ranging exploration. Washington University’s faculty and staff strive to enhance the lives and livelihoods of students, the people of the greater St. Louis community, the country and the world.
Web Innovations & Tech Services (WITS) – WITS, Inc. refurbishes electronics, computers, and surplus equipment from local and national businesses and residents by fixing or replacing what may be broken, when possible, and putting it back into the community for educational use. WITS, Inc. also seeks to train members of the community in how to use the technology and to provide job skills critical for success in today’s technology-driven job market. We then recycle responsibly what we cannot reuse.
Webster University Programming Contest - Each spring the Walker School of Business & Technology at Webster University hosts a computer programming contest for high school students. Since its inception in 2004, approximately 300 area high school students have participated. Schools send teams of two to three students to compete in the three hour competition. Teams may register for either the object-oriented division of the web programming division and are asked to solve a set a problems within a three hour time limit. Teams are judged on the number of problems solved along with the total elapsed time. The contest challenges not only the students’ programming knowledge but also their ability to work as a team. All participants receive a continental breakfast, lunch and a contest t-shirt. Winning teams in each division receive individual medals, a team trophy and a cash prize. This year’s contest will be held Saturday, April 20th.
Webster University Scholarship Endowment – SIM and G2I has endowed a scholarship for students pursuing a degree in Information Technology. Students can apply for Foundation scholarships directly through their campus financial aid offices. These funds are made possible by the generosity of donors to the foundation. Major donor groups include friends of the college, faculty, staff, students, alumni, retired employees, board members, corporations and foundations. Their generosity helps hundreds of students who would not otherwise be able to attend college.
WGB Scholarship Fund – Where you come from is the family you born in should not automatically disqualify you from success. The Willie G. Baylor Sr. Charitable Foundation will help prevent this. The Willie George Baylor, Sr. Scholarship Memorial Fund was established in 2004 in memory of our late Founder who had a strong commitment towards education. The Scholarship fund assists high school graduates who are going to college or to some other form of Secondary Education. It was designed to help defray some of the expenses associated with higher learning. The Scholarship was funded was first established by the Higher Ground Ministry Development Institute Education Department of Faith Miracle Temple Church and has given forty-seven scholarships to High School Graduates since 2004. The Willie G. Baylor Sr. Charitable Foundation to continue this endeavor making certain those students that work can realize their dream.
G2I Scholarship is established to provide financial assistance for two full-time students per semester each year. Funds may be used to pay tuition or buy books and cannot exceed student costs. Students are able to receive the scholarship for consecutive semesters, pending eligibility.