School Supply Drive to Benefit Inner-City Students

July 30, 2009

Local schools are collecting supplies to fill 1,000 backpacks for St. Louis kids

ST. LOUIS, MO (July 30, 2009) – Missouri College, Sanford-Brown College and The Little Bit Foundation are partnering to raise donations and school supplies for the "Every Little Bit Drive" in August. The supplies will be donated to inner city St. Louis students who are in need.

Missouri College and Sanford-Brown College kicked off the campaign by donating 1,000 backpacks, and they hope to collect enough supplies to fill all of the backpacks to give to the students.

The following supplies are being collected for the "Every Little Bit Drive":

• Pencil pouches
• Pink pearl size erasers
• #2 pencils
• Short-length school scissors
• Blue or black pens
• Glue sticks
• 24-packs of crayons
• Wide-rule single-subject notebooks
• 10-packs of thick or thin markers
• 150-page wide-rule packs of loose leaf paper
• 12-packs of colored pencils
• Pocket folders

The "Every Little Bit Drive" begins August 1 and ends August 31. Anyone who wishes to donate the supplies listed above can drop them off at the Sanford-Brown College campuses in Fenton, St. Peters, Hazelwood and Collinsville (Illinois), as well as Missouri College in Brentwood.

"This is a great opportunity for our students and the public to give back to the community," said Karl Petersen, Missouri College president. "As educators we understand the importance of early education for all children, regardless of their economic status, and we are pleased to be involved in such an important project."

The Little Bit Foundation serves K-8 schools in St. Louis City where at least 90% of the students are on a subsidized food program.

"We see impoverished children every week and assess what the students need in order to succeed in school," said Rosemary Hanley, co-founder of The Little Bit Foundation. "The start of the school year is the time when students need school supplies. Helping them out can make a big difference in their lives."

The "Every Little Bit Drive" also accepts monetary donations, which are tax deductible. Checks should be sent to: The Little Bit Foundation, 1850 De la Salle Drive, St. Louis, MO 63141.

The locations and phone numbers for school supply drop-offs are as follows:

Missouri College
1405 South Hanley Road
Brentwood, MO 63144
(314) 768-7800

Sanford-Brown College – Fenton
1345 Smizer Mill Road
Fenton, MO 63026
636-651-1600

Sanford-Brown College - Hazelwood
75 Village Square
Hazelwood, MO 63042
(314) 687-2900

Sanford-Brown College – St. Peters
100 Richmond Center Blvd.
St. Peters, MO 63376
636-696-2300

Sanford-Brown College – Collinsville
1101 Eastport Plaza Drive
Collinsville, IL 62234
618-344-5600

About Missouri College

Since 1963, Missouri College in St. Louis, Missouri, has given students the opportunity to obtain innovative, career-oriented training. The school has diploma, specialized associate and bachelor degree level programs in the Healthcare and Business Areas, with a focus on Dental, Healthcare, Massage Therapy and Management fields. Missouri College is accredited by Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) and the Dental Assistant and Dental Hygiene programs have been granted accreditation status by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association. The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. Missouri College is a member of the Career Education Corporation (NASDAQ:CECO) network of universities, colleges and schools.

About Sanford-Brown College

Sanford-Brown is a career training and degree granting institution with more than a 140-year history. The Sanford-Brown name dates back to 1866 when Rufus C. Crampton, a professor at Illinois College, established a school to meet the growing educational demands of post-Civil War America. Today, there are nine campuses bearing the name Sanford-Brown College (SBC) and there are 15 other affiliated campuses operating under the names of Sanford-Brown Institute (SBI). Sanford-Brown Colleges and Institutes are part of the Career Education Corporation (NASDAQ:CECO) network of universities, colleges and schools. Sanford-Brown Colleges offer career-oriented programs in fields including allied health, business, criminal justice, dental, and nursing. Programs vary by location. Sanford-Brown Colleges and Institutes are accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS). For more information about the Sanford-Brown schools please visit http://www.sanford-brown.edu/.

About The Little Bit Foundation

Founded in 2001, The Little Bit Foundation was born out of a small request from an inner city school teacher and has grown into serving 12 schools and 3,000 children in the St. Louis area. Its mission is to build strong partnerships with St. Louis schools in order to provide the essential support to disadvantaged children which will help break down barriers that inhibit personal growth and to create a more focused learning environment. With the help of more than 80 volunteers, The Little Bit Foundation provides basic necessities for students. The donations of essentials such as coats, clothes, shoes, hygiene items, school supplies and books enable children to be more focused on their work in the classroom. The organization offers consistent, empowering hope to children in need. The Little Bit Foundation is a is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity. For more information, please visit http://www.thelittlebitfoundation.org/index.html.