Health
Of the 900,000+ students who attend Missouri public schools, one in five live below the Missouri poverty line. These students often have unmet medical, dental, and mental health concerns that make learning more challenging.
Our Model
Care to Learn empowers school staff and faculty to respond immediately, meeting students’ needs anonymously. They are taught how to identify students who need help and how to effectively take action, which helps keep administrative costs low.
Identify
students with unmet needs and supplement current services.
Students in need aren't always easy to spot. Care to Learn works with our schools to empower everyone (teachers, nurses, bus drivers, custodians, counselors, and principals) to know what to look for and what steps to take. Anyone in a school district can have the power to meet a child’s need, and we’re here to help.
Develop
a sustainable fundraising strategy by creating a flexible fund.
Once a need is identified, we work with Chapters to build community awareness, and provide resources and support. With support from Care to Learn, individual Chapters are empowered to grow and sustain support from the ground up in their own communities.
Respond
immediately while protecting student confidentiality.
Care to Learn Chapters are designed to meet student needs on the spot. That means no extra approval needed, and no red tape or special requirements. We want to help students as quickly as possible—above or below the Missouri poverty line—and preserve their dignity, too.
Our Pillars
Each year, almost a million kids go to school in the state of Missouri. While most families are able to stock up on essential health, hunger, and hygiene items, some will have a much harder time making ends meet. When basic needs go unmet, students can’t focus on learning. That’s why Care to Learn focuses our efforts in these three areas:
Hunger
One in six kids is hungry each day and more than 200,000 children in Missouri live with food insecurity. Kids need healthy meals so they can stay energized, alert, and ready to conquer their day.
Hygiene
Under-resourced students are four times more likely to miss school. Students who have their clothing and hygiene needs covered feel included, recharged, and ready to take on the classroom.
Get Involved
Our mission is to meet children’s emergent health, hunger, and hygiene needs so they can succeed in school.
Real students. Real stories.
Making a difference every day—one student at a time. Since 2008, we’ve helped to meet 3 million needs through Care to Learn Chapters providing resources in education across the state. That’s more than just a number. Each need represents a unique individual story.
Care to Learn has empowered SPS staff to support our students as soon as a need arises.
Care to Learn has been a lifeline to many of our students and allowed parents to care for their children respectfully and quickly when they are low on hope.
Even though there’s an extra bag to carry, there’s a bright side to getting the backpack. I know that there will be food on the table.
Building confidence, trust, and relationships
Items like a coat, a meal, or a toothbrush have the ability to drastically impact a child's life. See the real impact that Care to Learn can make.
Our Impact
Support Our Mission
You can help kids in your community get the resources in education they need to have a successful school year. Every gift can make a difference—the average cost to meet a student’s health, hunger, or hygiene needs is less than $10. See how you can help.
Stay Up to Date
Creepy Crawlies: The Day We Got Lice
October 31
"When she leaned over to color her paper, my stomach dropped. Something was crawling in her hair." Care to Learn staff member, Andrea, details the value of having access to local resources when emergent situations like this arise.
Your 2024 School Soirée Play-by-Play
September 17
School Soirée: Thursday Night Lights was a record night. Relive some of our favorite moments (including a video recap) from the evening and join us in counting down until the next one!
Back to School Hygiene Success
July 29
Care to Learn joined in the Annual SPS Back to School Bash to hand out thousands of critical hygiene supplies to help students start the year off right.
Helping Jack* Join Graduation
May 22
Earlier this year Jack was a high school student in a local Missouri school district without a safe place to sleep. Now, he’s officially a graduate and on to a bigger and brighter future, thanks to the help of a caring school leader named Maggie.*
Introducing The Secret Hero Project
March 27
$200 means a lot — especially if you are a middle or high school student. That's why Care to Learn wanted to find a special way for Springfield Public Schools staff to give this money to 150 students who needed a little extra boost.
Shop With A Hero Highlights
February 15
An electric toothbrush. Sparkly pink shoes. Camo pants. A brand new pillow. These are just some of the purchases made on February 3, at Care to Learn’s 9th Annual Shop with a Hero event. Take a peek at some of the other key highlights from one of our favorite days of the year.
Love in Action
February 7
Deodorant may not seem like much; but to one teen, it was everything. One intentional act of love brought him to tears.
Warm for Winter
January 8
"It's mine to keep?" After receiving a winter gift, one student was in shock that it was now hers to call her very own.
There's Something Magical About Unicorn Pajamas
December 7
Find out Care to Learn helped share a little sparkle with one little girl who wanted to fit in with her classmates.
Be a Helping Hand
Everyone has the power to be a Helping Hand. When you lend a hand, you are helping students all across Missouri access the critical health, hunger, and hygiene resources they need to succeed in school.