UNITED WAY WORKS TO END AMERICA'S EDUCATION CRISIS
We're fighting to shift the odds so tomorrow's leaders can build a better foundation today. With an approach to education that spans from cradle to career, we're ensuring every child gets a strong start in life, teenagers have the tools to learn and grow, and young adults thrive in the job market.
Education is the cornerstone of individual and community success. But with more than 1.2 million children dropping out each year, America faces an education crisis. The cost? More than $312 billion in lost wages, taxes and productivity over their lifetimes.1 These trends are reversible, but only when communities and public, private and nonprofit sectors work together.
OUR GOAL
Success in life begins with a quality education. And yet, millions of children and youth lack the support they need to strengthen their literacy, stay on track in school, graduate high school and find a career. In 2008, United Way launched a 10-year initiative to cut the number of high school dropouts in half by 2018. It’s an ambitious goal, but by utilizing our core strengths — a national network, committed partners and public engagement capacity — we can achieve it.
OUR STRATEGY
We our focus moves beyond just high school. High school dropouts are 12 years in the making, usually starting early childhood education behind schedule. United Way's model focuses on supportive communities, effective schools and strong families — strategies and approaches rooted in research. Tackling the education challenge requires re-framing education on a birth to adulthood continuum.
OUR FOCUS
- Head Start - Positive behavior staff training program.
- Indi-Kids - Infant and toddler preschool support for Keystone Stars certification.
- Girl Scouts Western PA - Scouting program membership support for disadvantaged girls.
- Laurel Highlands Boy Scouts of America - Scouting program.
- Lifesteps - Mobile resource library.
- Salvation Army - Ark of Learning program.
- YMCA - Big Hearts, Little Hands program.
- YMCA - Safety Around Water program.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
To reach our goal, we need your help. The strategies proven to work are those that connect communities to their schools: parent involvement; literacy volunteers in the classroom; mentors for disadvantaged students; business leaders engaged in early childhood advocacy.
1Figure according to Communities in Schools, one of America’s leading drop-out prevention partnerships.