Education

Education: Helping 50,000 underperforming middle school kids enter high school ready to succeed

WHAT’S THE VALUE OF 50,000 HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMAS?

50,000 MORE KIDS REACHING THEIR POTENTIAL, CONTRIBUTING TO OUR WORKFORCE, SUPPORTING THEIR FUTURE FAMILIES, MAKING OUR COMMUNITY A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE.

OUR CHALLENGE:

There is a crisis in public education.

The FACTS:

  • 46% of kids start school without the skills they need to learn—the larger the gap at school entry the harder it is to close.
  • In Chicago nearly half of all teens do not graduate—successful completion of 9th grade is the make or break year for completing high school.

LIVE UNITED 2020 Goal:

Helping 50,000 underperforming middle school kids enter high school ready to succeed.

OUR APPROACH:

United Way is laser-focused on two key transition periods in a child’s life: Early Childhood Education and Middle School Transition Into High School.

OUR STRATEGY:

Ensuring Children Enter School Ready to Learn

  • Expand access/participation in high-quality early childhood intervention programs including high quality pre-school and home visitation
    • Focus resources on programs that link to home visitation and pre-school within the same center or community
    • Ensure parental involvement through programs with outreach and education
  • Advocate for funding to foster effective early childhood interventions
  • Engage volunteers in mentoring and reading to pre-schoolers

Preparing Middle School Kids to enter high school on track to graduate

  • Increase resources for existing community schools in low income communities
  • Bring community leadership and planning into the school through local advisory boards
  • Advocate for funding to sustain effective community schools
  • Engage volunteers in tutoring, mentoring, safe-passage, college prep and career training

United Way has developed these evidence based strategies in collaboration with local community experts and stakeholders. We are rigorously measuring our progress and our success. With adequate funding, we plan to implement these strategies in our United Way Partner Communities, creating school-ready communities where children receive the tools and support they need to succeed in school and graduate from high school on time.

WE INVITE YOU TO BE PART OF THE CHANGE AND THE SOLUTION: