Partners in Success: KIPP and Centene

For more than 35 years, Centene has been committed to transforming the health of communities and helping individuals live healthier lives. This commitment has meant embracing an approach that focuses on the whole person and understanding that many factors–including education–contribute to wellness and health outcomes.

To build a healthier future for children, the Centene Charitable Foundation partnered with KIPP to accelerate early literacy achievement across our network of schools.

With Centene’s generous support, we launched the KIPP Early Literacy Program, which supports teachers and leaders in reimagining their early literacy programs, ensuring that all instruction is aligned to research on the science of reading.

The program, which launched in 2020 amid the backdrop of the pandemic, has already had a significant impact, reaching 13,000 students in kindergarten through second grade.

“Centene is committed to investing in the future of the communities we serve and understands education is key to addressing the many factors beyond access to medical care that contribute to an individual’s overall wellness,” said Michael F. Neidorff, the late Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Centene. “This partnership not only furthers Centene’s investment in our communities, while advancing our focus on inclusion and the whole person, but also works to improve socioeconomic conditions among our youth that could potentially influence long-term health risks and outcomes.”

We are deeply grateful to count the Centene Charitable Foundation among our KIPP champions helping to drive improvements in early childhood and literacy across our network. Few investments will last longer or pay more dividends than teaching a young child to read.