AroundTown A ‘Little Bit’ of help

The Little Bit Foundation partners with historic Sumner High School to help serve as an overall source of support for students lacking resources

Sumner High School, the first public high school for Black students west of the Mississippi, and boasts alumni including singer, Tina Turner, tennis player Arthur Ashe and actor Robert Guillaume, has been “adopted” by the nonprofit organization, The Little Bit Foundation.

The high school, located in the oncethriving neighborhood of The Ville, serving nearly 300 students, has faced challenges including being on a closure list in 2021 due to low enrollment, declining GPAs and attendance. But the community rallied around the history-making institution and convinced the St. Louis Public School Board to reconsider, and allow Sumner to develop an action plan to be instituted over three years to make improvements. The Little Bit Foundation has become part of that plan.

The nonprofit that was founded in 2001, “works to eliminate barriers to learning and provides enrichment opportunities for under-resourced students in the St. Louis region.” It provides programming and partnerships that address the needs of students to enhance their education, college preparation, work-readiness skills and mentorship. It also offers health education and intervention, serving as an overall source of support for students lacking resources.

“We are very excited to expand our continuum of support to students in SLPS at this historic school and to help effect positive change,” said CEO of the organization, Miranda Walker Jones. “Students in the district have the opportunity to experience the full scope of Little Bit programs from early childhood through high school, especially the ‘career pathways’ we are creating by exposing students early to the options available to them and helping to cultivate the skills and relationships they need for success in whatever they choose to be.”

Sumner High School is the 19th school in Little Bit’s 20-year partnership with St. Louis Public Schools and the second high school in the district. The nonprofit hopes to see the students excel with the added services and supports.

“They will have an additional resource and support network to rely on,” said Stacy Lupo, the nonprofit’s consulting communications director. “We bring with us partnerships with other expert providers as well as industry leaders, higher education institutions and others that can open doors for students and expand their worldview.”

Aaron Williams, Chairman of the Sumner High School Advisory Board feels confident the partnership with TLBF will help be holistically beneficial to students.

“We know we have to serve the whole student and even those not yet at Sumner,” he said. “The Little Bit Foundation brings that whole child model and also is in the feeder schools of Sumner, so we have real opportunity to do that with this partnership.”

Jones believes that with sufficient provisions, students are capable of taking their achievements and creating sustained success.

“We know that with the right support, one student can change the trajectory of their family for future generations.”