Since implementing Check & Connect in St. Louis County in September 2021, 45 mentors have been hired, serving 985 students across 34 schools. The program is supervised by three Check & Connect Coordinators (Lisa Perkovich for North St. Louis County Schools, Sara Laulunnen for Duluth Public Schools, and John Engelking for South St. Louis County Schools.
As we began our program during the 2021-22 school year, Mentors established relationships with students, their families, and the school staff. We have seen over 900,000 minutes of direct support and over 400,000 connections with students. In addition, our mentors work with principals, counselors, and teachers to identify students for Check & Connect.
Over the 2021-2022 school year, participating schools saw a 75% decrease in absences and a 62% decrease in suspensions. We look forward to reflecting on the baseline data reports as we continue to support mentors and students in engaging with school and learning.