ARCHS is partnering with Monsanto to promote science in after school as an emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education continues to grow.

Monsanto's Science Education Outreach Program will offer hands-on demonstrations for After School for All Partnership for St. Louis (ASAP) students. ASAP students in 34 schools will benefit greatly from the expertise of Monsanto's scientists to encourage STEM learning. Monsanto plans to visit all ASAP sites by December 2013.

ASAP is a community effort to increase the quality and access to after school programs in the Greater St. Louis area.

"We are very excited that ASAP students will receive this great opportunity to learn from science professionals at Monsanto," said ARCHS' Vice President of K-12 Programs Kristy Kight. "There is a growing focus on STEM learning in the school day environment, so for after school students to be further engaged in science by experts such as Monsanto staff is a great benefit for ASAP programs."

The Monsanto Science Education Outreach offers 10 programs focused around STEM education, such as States of Matter & Chemistry Fun, Chromatography, Black Light Fun, Chlorophyll: The Power of Plants, How Fast Does that Plant Grow, and more.

Maggie Cole, a member of ARCHS' Board of Directors and the Global Manufacturing Sustainability Lead at Monsanto, assisted in bringing the two organizations together to provide the STEM educational opportunities for ASAP.

"Being on the Board of Directors for ARCHS has given me another avenue to link this community resource where there could be value," Cole said. "The ASAP program provides a great way for Monsanto to reach future scientists in the St. Louis region."

ARCHS' Kids Vision for Life program is expanding to serve three more school districts in the St. Louis area, with expectations that an additional 4,000 to 5,000 children will be served this school year.

Kids Vision for Life started serving four schools in the Jennings School District in January 2013, and began seeing students in the Normandy School District this month. Services in the Ferguson-Florissant School District will begin in March.

For this school year through December 2012, Kids Vision for Life screened 3,972 students, 925 were given exams, and 672 received new eye glasses in the Saint Louis and Riverview Gardens school districts.

Kids Vision for Life aims to provide free eye screenings to children in grades K-6, provide free eye examinations to students who fail the screenings, and provide free eye glasses to students who need them after completing the eye examination.

ARCHS partners with Essilor Vision Foundation, Crown Vision Center, HealthCare USA, and University of Missouri-St. Louis School of Optometry (mobile van) to provide Kids Vision for Life services.

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Fathers' Support Center Youth Mentor Michelle Hiner talks with two mentees about an upcoming college tour the three will take.January is National Mentoring Month, and ARCHS is celebrating with the recent news that it has received $31,744 from the City of St. Louis to provide career exploration activities through its Juvenile Justice Mentoring Program.

The funds come through the city's 2013 Public Safety Proposition S Youth at Risk Crime Prevention Fund.

ARCHS' Juvenile Justice Mentoring Program provides adult mentors to juvenile offenders associated with the Missouri Division of Youth Services (DYS). Fathers' Support Center in St. Louis serves as ARCHS' program partner to provide the mentoring services.

Most recent data (FY12) of ARCHS' Juvenile Justice Mentoring Program:

• Parents with children in the program indicated an overall positive perception of the mentoring activities. On a scale of 1-4, parental scores averaged 3.65.
• Through the program, 18 youth received GEDs, and 11 enrolled in secondary education, such as college classes.

ARCHS' partnership with the Missouri Division of Youth Services honored teenagers, their mentors, and parents at a celebration luncheon on May 5 at Chaifetz Arena at Saint Louis University. "Youth Striving Towards Success: A Celebration of Progress and Success” recognized youth (mentees) and adult (mentors) for voluntarily participating in the program in partnership with Fathers’ Support Center. More than 80 youth were matched with mentors this past year.

The ARCHS’ partnership provides adult mentors to juvenile offenders associated with the Missouri Division of Youth Services.

• DYS BANQUET VIDEO
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