Up in the Ville neighborhood of North St. Louis City, it was a shimmering sea of yellow and blue, a joyous riot of balloons and flowers, and lots and lots of smiles. The La Salle Middle School graduation took place recently, ushering 21 eighth-grade students into bright futures full of possibility. But it wasn’t ‘goodbye.’ The public charter school is supported by a nonprofit named De La Salle Inc., which provides facilities and programming like the enrichment initiative EnCompass. EnCompass includes a Graduate Support Program that provides ongoing, intensive support in the form of continued academic counseling, high school financial aid, and help with ACT test prep, college visits and applications.
Since its inception 15 years ago, De La Salle Inc. has seen 98 percent of its students graduate from high school and 85 percent accepted into college; of those, 75 percent either are still in college or have graduated. In this neighborhood, where most households live at or below the poverty level and many children qualify for free or reduced lunch, these programs (funded entirely with donations from foundations and individuals) are transforming lives.
Trevor Green, who grew up in Florissant with his single mother and two brothers, is proof of their success. After graduating from La Salle, he attended Christian Brothers College (CBC) High School before going on to McDaniel College in Maryland, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history and political science. Green says he plans to go to law school, but for the time being, he works as special projects manager for the EnCompass after-school Whole Child Enrichment Program, giving back a little of what was given to him. “I can’t even imagine where I’d be without it,” he says. “De La Salle Inc. made me feel safe, not just by following my progress as a student, but by taking care of me mentally, as a person.” Now, he is paying it forward by overseeing middle school enrichment classes like yoga, hip-hop, robotics, chess, leadership and ‘social justice art.’
Melissa Brickey, De La Salle Inc. executive director, knew Green as a boy and attributes much of the program’s success to strong family involvement. “We have awesome parent participation,” she says, adding that 77 percent of families take part in school events at least once a month. Green adds that sometimes in impoverished inner cities, it can be a struggle to convince families about the importance of education. “But we are here to teach them, to get our students in through the door and keep them there,” she says. Brickey stresses, meanwhile, that none of this would be possible without the generosity of St. Louisans. Private donations not only provide educational support for high school and beyond, but fund uniforms and supplies for the children as well.
Although the Ville neighborhood is marked by poverty and high crime, Brickey says schools, churches and community organizations make it a vibrant place to live. “There is a lot of good going on,” she says. “And I am proud to say that La Salle Middle School and De La Salle Inc. are a big part of it.”
Pictured: Graduates Anastasia, Destiny and Isabelle
Photo Courtesy of De La Salle Inc.
De La Salle Inc. provides facilities and programming to La Salle Middle School, a public charter school in North St. Louis City. Programming includes ongoing academic counseling, high school financial aid and comprehensive college application support. Pictured on the cover: Students Michael, Jayon’ce, Destiny and Karlos celebrate their recent graduation from middle school. For more information, call 314.531.9820 or visit delasallestl.org.
Cover design by Jon Fogel | Cover photo by Colin Miller of Strauss Peyton Photography
