Education Impact Area

 


Education Vision Statement:
Helping children and youth achieve their potential through education
 

Scope of Education Impact Area:
Support of programs, services and activities that prepare children for school, ensuring they have the social, emotional, and intellectual tools to attain academic success.

  • Quality early childhood education
  • Family literacy
  • Academic achievement in the classroom
  • Responsible decision-making by youth
  • Increase high school graduation rates


Education Initiatives

Sunland Park Early Achievers

Sunland Park’s Early Achievers (SPEA) is a three-year partnership with Opportunities Industrialization Center, Inc. (OIC) for Sunland Park Elementary students in kindergarten through second grade.  Because the school has been an F-grade school for the past three years, this program focuses on increasing the readiness of students before they begin taking the FCAT in third grade.  This effort also involves four child care centers that feed into the school.  Efforts include family literacy programs and parent involvement opportunities, as well as afterschool activities that include individualized tutoring support for academic success.

Through collaborations with other community agencies, this initiative will serve at least 60 students in kindergarten through second grade and their families and 15 children ages 3-5 and their families in the Sunland Park area.

United Way is providing $250,000 a year for three years to support the Sunland Park program.

 

Empowering Effective Teachers

The Empowering Effective Teachers Initiative is a two year project that brings together educators with community, government and business leaders to develop ideas and strategies that support teacher development.  The premise of the Initiative is the single most significant factor impacting student achievement that schools can control is an effective teacher.  Because every child deserves an effective teacher in every subject, every year we are focused on mobilizing the community to empower our teachers with the tools and resources they need to be successful. To support this work United Way of Broward County is conducting listening sessions with parents and teachers for their ideas and feedback.  We have convened a coalition of educators, community and corporate leaders to develop specific policy recommendations and actions that support effective teachers and ensure our children’s success.

The Initiative supports United Way’s mission to cut the dropout rates in half by 2018 and insure all students’ graduate college or career ready.

Funding for the Initiative was provided by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation through United Way Worldwide.