The White House and U.S. Department of Education Name Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri’s ABCToday! a Together for Tomorrow Challenge Winner

Representatives from the White House, U.S. Department of Education, and the Corporation for National and Community Service gathered Monday afternoon in Washington, D.C., to announce the winners in the Together for Tomorrow School Improvement Challenge. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri (BBBSEMO) and its ABCToday! early warning and recognition system was named a winner.

“It’s an honor for us to be recognized by the White House and U.S. Department of Education for our work,” said BBBSEMO President/CEO Becky James-Hatter. “We celebrate this honor with all of our key partners – the schools, teachers, parents, Littles, Bigs, Board of Directors, staff, donors and friends, who are right there with us, working every day to help boost our children’s ABCs.”

Only 24 organizations were chosen nationwide for this important work in a school-community partnership aiming to raise student achievement in low-performing schools. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan applauded the efforts of all Together for Tomorrow winners, noting, “You stepping up to work with us is a game changer. Turning around low performing schools doesn’t happen in Washington, it happens in communities.”

Two of the 24 celebrated were from the state of Missouri - BBBSEMO and Bright Futures, a program of Joplin Schools. Applauding the efforts of both in a news release issued by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Missouri Commissioner of Education Chris L. Nicastro commented, "Organizations like these that engage the community are vital to the success of children in school. Congratulations to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri and Bright Futures on leading the way."

ABCToday! is a partnership model driven by BBBSEMO to ensure that students Attend school, Behave while there and have Classroom success in reading and math. BBBSEMO's partner school districts include St. Louis Public School District and Normandy School District in the greater St. Louis area as well as the Cape Girardeau Public School District.

One of the first to partner with BBBSEMO on ABCToday!, Dr. James Welker, Superintendent Cape Girardeau School District, noted the initiative is making a difference. “Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri is a wonderful organization and we think the agency’s ABCToday! is yielding positive results. We’ve been working on our graduation rate and it’s clear to me that Big Brothers Big Sisters helps keep kids in school.”

Congratulating BBBSEMO for the Together for Tomorrow distinction, Dr. Kelvin Adams, Superintendent St. Louis Public Schools stated, “We are pleased Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri is receiving this national recognition from the U.S. Department of Education.” He added, “They are a trusting and innovative partner. We deeply appreciate all the time, passion and unique resources they have given to our families and students.”

ABCToday! has frequently gained the interest and support of key leaders. In September, BBBSEMO hosted senior representatives from the U.S. Department of Education to discuss ABCToday! The special visit was part of the Department’s Education Drives America bus tour. Prior to that, Duncan recognized ABCToday! for its innovative partnership model. Civic Enterprises named ABCToday! a best practice national model and featured it as a centerpiece of a recent report. Also, lead education researcher at John Hopkins University, Dr. Robert Balfanz, called ABCToday! a national, one-of-a-kind model.

BBBSEMO’s ABCToday! is widely supported by parents, businesses and community organizations. More than two years ago, city of St. Louis residents voted to back a measure that would fund crime prevention and youth at risk programs. ABCToday! was earmarked for a portion of those funds in 2012.

Speaking on behalf of BBBSEMO's board of directors, Board Chairman Bill DeWitt III asserted, “We believe that our unique formula for success – trusting and enduring relationships plus kids who attend school, behave while there and experience classroom success is the recipe for real and lasting change in St. Louis.”