ST. LOUIS (Jan. 30, 2012) –Monsanto Company is pleased to announce the St. Louis community has voted St. Louis Modern Chinese School as the $15,000 grant winner of the second round of the Grow St. Louis contest.
Through the Grow St. Louis effort, eligible projects affiliated with schools and/or nonprofit organizations in the St. Louis metropolitan area were nominated to receive a grant of up to $15,000 from Monsanto. The nominations were then voted on by the St. Louis community to determine which projects would receive awards.
In total, more than 30,000 people voted for nearly 170 project entries across the St. Louis community. More than 340 organizations have been nominated in the first two rounds.
“As a company who is proud to call St. Louis home, we are thrilled with the continued response to the Grow St. Louis contest,” said Jessica Simmons, Grow St. Louis program lead. “With the diversity of winning projects through the first two rounds it’s exciting to see how St. Louisans are strengthening their community in so many different and positive ways.”
First-place winner St. Louis Modern Chinese School (SLMCS) provides a nurturing avenue for students of all ages and ethnic backgrounds to learn Chinese language and share Chinese culture. The SLMCS is one of the largest Chinese language schools in the country, and relies solely on tuition and donations from individuals and companies. SLMCS plans to use the $15,000 to buy class materials, traditional Chinese costumes and to educate the St. Louis-area about Chinese culture.
Second-place winner Gateway Pet Guardians is an animal shelter and pet rescue located in St. Louis that rescues stray dogs and cats in and around the East St. Louis, Illinois and St. Louis metro area. Gateway Pet Guardians plans to use their $10,000 grant to increase the awareness of responsible pet ownership and animal advocacy in the Metro East. This funding will be used to further reach out to at-risk youth to develop their leadership skills and help them become animal advocates in their own communities.
The third-place winner Southwestern High School FFA chapter is committed to developing the future of the agriculture industry, its high school members. With the $5,000 grant the FFA chapter plans to turn unused land near the school’s greenhouse into a learning laboratory. In addition to a community garden, the chapter plans to install a windmill and solar panel system in order to teach students and the public about sustainable agriculture and energy practices.
Monsanto will offer its Grow St. Louis contest quarterly to give a variety of people, organizations and projects the chance to be involved. The next contest round will begin this spring. For more information about the Grow St. Louis program, please visit www.stlgrown.com.
Grow St. Louis is just one of the many ways Monsanto has contributed to the St. Louis community. Last year, Monsanto and the Monsanto Fund gave $9 million to worthy causes in the community. In the last decade, Monsanto’s contributions to the St. Louis region have totaled more than $97 million. Monsanto employees also regularly support their local community projects, donating more than 10,000 volunteer hours over the last year. From developing science education programs for underserved youth to supporting the local arts scene to rebuilding when disaster strikes, Monsanto is dedicated to improving lives and helping grow St. Louis – economically, culturally and as a community.
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