SLACO is collaborating with several St. Louis organizations to partner with Hickey Elementary School to develop an intervention strategy for distressed communities like the one surrounding the school.
Targeting 18 blocks abutting the school (Kingsville), an area straddling Kingsway East and the Greater Ville, SLACO and partners have used the area as a pilot model to replicate the approach in similar communities in North St. Louis.
The basic premise of SLACO’s B.E.S.T. Approach involves making the neighborhoods more attractive and livable (B=Beautification), strengthening the neighborhood school (E=Education), ensuring security and meeting basic needs (S=Safety and Services), and providing support to local organizations (T=Technical). In short, the B.E.S.T.
Approach emphasizes revitalizing blighted neighborhoods through a comprehensive strategy that involves rebuilding the community from the ground up. It outlines actions and potential collaborations to transform underserved communities, making them more attractive places to live and improving residents’ quality of life.
To launch the program, SLACO has sought out community partners to support the initiative called the Hickey B.E.S.T. Collective. Formed in the fall of 2022, the initial members were SLACO, the St. Louis Public Schools, the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, Harris-Stowe State University, and Washington University in St. Louis.
In terms of education, attendance and test scores are major concerns. Through the support of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, the collective has increased the after- school program capacity at Hickey. Utilizing Harris-Stowe interns to triple the number of scholars served. Because of the interns, after-school faculty can have more one-on-one contact with students, resulting in higher rates of assignment completion and increasing exposure to reading opportunities. In addition, through a donation of 800 books, Hickey library enlarged its holdings of literature by African American authors and that featured non-white characters.
During the next year, SLACO and its partners plan to expand beautification initiatives, continue recruiting Harris-Stowe interns for the after-school program through support from InverstSTL, and seek funding to enhance the program through a Twenty-First Community Learning Center grant from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), as well as seeking new partners and resources. Because of the significant progress that has already been made, the collective feels that the B.E.S.T. Approach can be established in similar communities.