September 14, 2025 - Last week, Hawthorne Elementary and McMillan Early Learning Center received a special delivery — a truckload of school supplies and brand-new Scholastic books thanks to KidSmart and Ameren Missouri.

Three Eugene Field Elementary teachers even joined the drive-through event in Columbia, where supplies were distributed to educators across the region. Mexico Public Schools was one of just 17 districts invited to participate, based on the percentage of students who qualify for free and reduced lunch.

KidSmart shared how excited they were to get these resources into the hands of students and teachers — and the McMillan staff’s enthusiasm made the day even more memorable!

This event was part of KidSmart and Ameren Missouri’s second year of a special pilot program aimed at equipping 10,000 Central Missouri students with the tools they need to succeed this school year. On Monday, Sept. 8, KidSmart, Ameren, and Walmart teamed up to deliver school supplies, books, and classroom resources to 400 teachers representing 17 schools across the region.

Inventory includes essential resources such as pencils, crayons, paper, markers, glue, folders, as well as STEM, art, and literacy resources. KidSmart’s mission is to empower students in need to succeed by providing FREE, essential tools for learning. KidSmart is driven by the belief that education can and will break the cycle of poverty. KidSmart remains steadfast in its commitment to enhance access to quality education for all 300,000 Missouri students who are eligible for the organization’s services, by 2032.

As a partner of this event, Ameren provided seed funding to pilot this back-to-school impact program, taking the KidSmart organization’s proven drive-through distributions to equip Central Missouri PreK-12th grade students in need with the tools and educational resources that bridge the educational gap that exists for kids in high poverty classrooms. Ameren Missouri committed $500,000 over three (3) years to KidSmart. This incredible partnership with KidSmart will equip thousands of students in need throughout Missouri and in the St. Louis region, helping to ensure KidSmart can continue to annually provide $8 million in critical supplies and resources.

For more information about this event and Kidsmart, email Abbie Enlund at Abbie@KidSmartSTL.org.