In many school districts across America, poor attendance among students is an ever increasing issue, especially among families that are living below the poverty line. Some might speculate the reasons for poor attendance to include laziness, little motivation, or parents lacking proper discipline, but a Principal at a St. Louis Elementary School dug a little deeper and found the real reason children weren’t attending school…it was because they couldn’t find clean clothes to wear.
Dr. Melody Gunn, former principal of Gibson Elementary School in St. Louis talked with some of the parents of her students, and discovered that clean laundry was an issue in many homes. Many families could not afford a washer and dryer, worked long hours, or had challenges scheduling long trips to the laundromat. Some families had a washer and dryer, but couldn’t afford to pay their electric bill, and some families were homeless. To a 10-year-old child who already faces economic hardship and institutional racism, not being able to find a clean outfit in the morning can be a strong deciding factor in whether or not they want to face their peers and teachers that day. Dr. Gunn decided to reach out to Whirlpool and asked if they would donate a washer and dryer to her school. Whirlpool became interested in not only her school, but in how they could help schools around the nation. Whirlpool then did its own research, and found that one in five students in the United States have trouble finding clean clothes to wear to school. One in five!
Whirlpool ended up donating 17 pairs of washers and dryers to school districts in St. Louis and in Fairfield, CA. Students were then invited to bring their laundry to school which was then washed while they were in class.
The results were shocking! Over 90% of students that participated in the new program increased their attendance that year. Students who were at-risk attended two more weeks of school during the year, and each student got approximately 50 loads of laundry done at school! This year, Whirlpool plans on expanding the program to twenty more schools in five more districts.
How amazing that a seemingly insignificant problem was addressed, and now has changed thousands of children’s lives! Props to Dr. Gunn for thinking outside of the box, digging dip, and discovering new ways to encourage kids to come to school.
Watch the video below which explains the “The Care Counts” program by Whirlpool, which is now being implemented in schools around the country.
