Wise choice!
Education is one of United Way of the Wabash Valley’s Five Focus Areas that will drive our bold goal to move 10,000 families out of financial struggles and into stability.
You are in great company if you believe the best way we can break the cycle of generational poverty is by increasing educational attainment for all children. Together we can do just that, but we need your help!
United Way of the Wabash Valley’s work is underway with two Impact Councils filled with local passion and expertise. These are great community members who think like you. Check out the Impact Council options below to learn more, or invest in an Impact Council and give these volunteers the resources they need to continue their work developing and investing in smart initiatives!
Studies show improving “Kindergarten Readiness” skills change the future for every child by setting them up for lifelong learning. Your adventure has landed on Success By 6 because you want to create impact by helping the youngest in our community.
You believe that by supporting the entire continuum of education—including youth educational success, transitional supports during critical formative years, and post-secondary planning and preparation—we can help break the cycle of poverty.
Success By 6 Council Investment Opportunities
The United Way of the Wabash Valley Success By 6 Impact Council was formed out of the membership of the long-time Success By 6 Committee, originally formed in 2008. This council believes that early childhood education is an economic issue affecting current families, our future economy, workforce and job opportunities. Early childhood development programs initiate cognitive and character skills, preparing children for success in kindergarten and overall achievement in school and life.
The council’s initiatives focus on:
- Increasing high-quality childcare programs and access to them
- Supporting coordination between early childhood educators and school settings
- Promoting parent and volunteer engagement in literacy acquisition
The Council is made up of organizations and individuals who are passionate about early childhood education for a variety of reasons. You can take a look at the current membership of the Success By 6 Impact Council here.
Investments
Listed below, you can find a sampling of the currently funded initiatives by this Impact Council. Look them over, and then, if you choose, make your impact by investing in the work of this impact council.
Quality Childcare Initiative
Did you know that 84% of local children are not enrolled in high-quality childcare?
Since 2017, the United Way has invested $168,000 in a grant to local childcare providers in order to increase access to high-quality care in the Wabash Valley. This investment created over 300 higher-quality spots that will be able to prepare children for generations to come!
READ UNITED! & REAL MEN READ
Read UNITED! and Real Men Read is a program that brings adult mentors into kindergarten and preschools in the 6-county service area to read to students once a month for five months. Each child receives a copy of the book to take home, resulting in five new books in their home library. The program encourages the student’s literacy skills and joy of reading, provides mentoring opportunities for adults with students, and gives students extra attention and positive role models who value education.
Youth Success Council Investment Opportunities
The United Way of the Wabash Valley’s Youth Success Impact Council’s focus is to increase youth success with strong school partnerships, assisting schools to reduce chronic absenteeism and strengthen key supports for student success.
Their strategies include:
- Focus on attendance rates: Every Child, Every Day, On-Time
- Strengthen student support through parents, tutors, and/or mentors
- Expand literacy supports in K-12
- Expand counseling services available to youth including social and career counseling
- Promote the development of life skills
The Council is made up of organizations and individuals who are passionate about early childhood education for a variety of reasons. You can take a look at the current membership of the Youth Success Impact Council here.
Investments
Listed below, you can find a sampling of the currently funded initiatives by this Impact Council. Look them over, and then, if you choose, make your impact by investing in the work of this impact council.
READING NEIGHBORS
A joint program with the Vigo County School Corporation that invites community members to read aloud to first and second-grade students to improve emerging reading skills, using a special selection of books that also help children strengthen self-awareness, decision-making, and interpersonal skills vital for success in school, work, and life.
YOUTH SUCCESS STUDENT ENGAGEMENT MINI-GRANT
The Impact Council has invested $60,000 in mini-grants that focused on proposals put forth by community organizations or schools that will enhance student engagement in their current education forum (real, virtual, or in-home) and work to improve long-term student attendance rates. Project proposals focused on bettering student engagement, interest, and enthusiasm in their studies, as well as improved attendance, all of these outcomes contributing to better overall educational experience and readiness for our youth.
