The Dan Devereaux Memorial Trust benefits minority and “at risk” kids in the metro St. Louis area providing education and life skills opportunities that will give these children a chance to receive a good basic education making it possible for them to enter post-secondary education or secure employment offering more than a minimum wage.
We are a 501(c)(3) not for profit charitable organization that was established in 2001.
Education and employment are the means of empowerment for poor people. According to the Pew Charitable Trust’s “Quality Counts ‘98” study, East Saint Louis has the highest poverty rate in the nation (58% versus 18% nationwide). Concentrated poverty is the greatest challenge facing U.S. cities and their school systems with East Saint Louis children attending School District 189 being at the greatest risk of academic failure of any children in the entire country. On the 2002 School Report Card issued through the State Board of Education District 189 reported a 20.3% chronic truancy rate which is extremely high compared to the 2.0% rate for the State of Illinois. On the State performance tests only 17.6% of the high school students in this district met or exceed Illinois Learning Standards which means 82.4% of the students did not meet minimal state standards.
The Dan Devereaux Memorial Trust provides education opportunities for some of these “at risk” children at private middle schools and college prep high schools in the St. Louis area. There are several schools that are specifically focused to provide a challenging learning environment for these kids; Loyola Academy for boys, Marian Middle School for girls, De LaSalle and St. Cecilia’s Middle Schools for boys and girls. These schools are for children of any faith who have the potential to succeed in high school and even college, but may fail to achieve that potential because of socio-economic circumstances. The cost to educate a youngster at one of these schools is more than $10,000 annually.