EDUCATION

Helping Children Achieve
their Maximum Potential

United Way is advancing the common good by targeting Education,
Income & Health. These are the building blocks for a good life - a
quality education that leads to a good job, enough income to
support a family through retirement and good health along with
healthy relationships. When people do not have the basic building
blocks they need for a successful life, it hurts them, their families,
and our whole community. Your United Way is focusing on specific
issues in our community as they relate to the building blocks.

Targeted Issues:

I.	Children enter school ready to succeed
	Major Concerns:
	• Providing more children in the community with early learning opportunities.
	• Increasing the number of children reading at a third grade level (in third grade), thus significantly increasing their chances of success in school.
	Programs & Activities:
	• Increase scholarships for child care assistance.
	• Collaborate with the business community and agencies to promote and increase of number of quality, licensed, Child Care facilities in the community.
	• Promote increased access to home visitation programs for families prenatlly up through school age.
	• Promote and provide easy access to reading programs and materials for younger children.
	• Promote increased parent involvement in their child's learning.
	Intended Results:
	• By giving children positive experiences before they enter school, and giving them a strong foundation in the early grades, this will lead to better outcomes in school and in their adult life.

II.	Productive and engaged youth
	Major Concerns:
	• Youth engaged in risky behavior.
	• Drug and alcohol abuse among our youth.
	• Bullying behavior especially in middle and high school children.
	Programs & Activities:
	• Preventative and early intervention programs that steer youth away from risky behaviors and poor choices.
	• Support programs that engage youth in positive behavior with strong adult role models, peer programing and mentoring activities.
	Intended Results:
	• Alcohol or drug abuse reduced, and a reduction in law breaking behavior by youth.
	• Environment for youth is free of bullying and gangs.
	• All area children have a positive role model/mentor in their life.

III.	Productive parents engaged and involved in their children's growth and development.
	Major Concerns:
	• Families not practicing, or knowing how to provide good parenting skills.
	• Violence and abusive family environment.
	• Lack of positive adult role models for our youth.
	Programs & Activities:
	• Support programs and workshops for parents that address bullying issues and how to respond to them.
	• Programs that address violence in the home.
	• Support programs that teach healthy relationships.
	Intended Results:
	• The reduction of violence within families.
	• Children grow up in a positive, nurturing environment that enables them to come to school ready to learn.