Transcript United Way Success By 6 National Impact Strategy

United Way Success By 6
Community Breakfast
October 2008
United Way Success By 6 Overview
Our Plans
Beliefs
United Way Success By 6
United Way Success By 6 looks to become a
catalyst of change working with local partners to
ensure children are entering school prepared to
succeed.
• The period of life from birth to age 6 offers a
crucial window of opportunity to establish a
foundation for success in school and life.
• Children in this age group are dependent on their
parents and/or caregivers to offer early learning
experiences that prepare them to succeed in
school.
History of United Way Success By 6
• The first Sb6 initiative began in 1989 in
Minneapolis, Minnesota.
• United Way of America has been
providing a strategic framework and
support to local United Way’s since 1997.
• Over 350 communities across the U.S.
provide Sb6 making it the nation’s largest
network of early childhood coalitions,
focused on improving school readiness
through community change.
United Way Success By 6
Launching United Way Success By 6
• United Way of Etowah County started
their Sb6 initiative in 2005. They continue
sharing their strategies with us.
• The work done by the Blueprint for School
Readiness Workgroup was a springboard
for the Sb6 initiative.
• Special thanks to Gail Piggot and the
Alabama Partnership for Children,
Community Foundation of Calhoun County,
and the Stringfellow Health Fund for
making the “Blueprint” work possible.
United Way Success By 6
Readiness to Succeed in School & Life:
DID YOU KNOW?
• Research shows that at birth all children
have the same number of brain cells.
• The first four years of a child’s life will
determine the child’s capacity to learn,
adaptability in society, and emotional and
psychological stability.
• 85% of the synaptic connections that form
the child’s future take place during the
first three years of life, and connections not
made are lost forever.
United Way Success By 6
Normal Healthy Child
Child with Sensory-Deprivation
and Global Neglect
Note: Both children had an average head size (50th percentile) at time of scan.
CT scans from research by Perry and Pollard (1997).
United Way Success By 6
National Statistics
• 46% of kindergarteners are coming to
school at risk for failure.1
• Economically disadvantaged children
enter kindergarten one to two years behind
in language and other skills important to
school success.2
*SOURCE:
1 – Nicholas Zill and Jerry West (2005). Entering Kindergarten: A Portrait of American Children When They Begin School: Findings from the Condition of Education 2004. U. S.
Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. NCES 2001-035. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
2 – Urahn, S. (2001). Promoting universal access to high quality early education for three and four year olds: The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Starting Early, Starting Strong
Initiative.
United Way Success By 6
State of Alabama Statistics
• About 82% of all Alabamians in prison are
high school dropouts. It cost about $20,000
a year to house a prisoner. In comparison,
a year of high-quality preschool costs about
$4,800.1
• While 85% of a child’s brain development
occurs by age three, less than 1% of public
investments on education and development
have occurred by that time in Alabama.2
*SOURCE:
1 – Montgomery Advertiser 2003.
2 – “Early Learning Left Out,” VOICES for America’s Children and the Child and Family Policy Center, 2004.
United Way Success By 6
State of Alabama Statistics
• Alabama budgets $17.4 million to pre-k
programs (up 68% from last year).1
• Compare this to our neighbors:2
• Tennessee budgets $83 million
• Georgia budgets $337 million
• Florida budgets $356 million
*SOURCE:
1 – pre[k]now, Votes Count: Legislative Action on Pre-K Fiscal Year 2009, September 2008.
2 – pre[k]now, Votes Count: Legislative Action on Pre-K Fiscal Year 2009, September 2008.
United Way Success By 6
Why does quality early learning matter?
Quality Early Learning
REDUCES
Crime Rates
Teenage Pregnancy
Welfare Dependency
Job Training Costs
Special Education Cost
Grade Repetition
United Way Success By 6
Quality Early Learning
INCREASES
Success in School
Graduation Rates
Workforce Readiness
Job Productivity
Community
Engagement
4 Focus Areas for Calhoun County’s
United Way Success By 6
1. Public Awareness
2. School Readiness
3. Parent Education
4. Early Learning Coalition
United Way Success By 6
Public Awareness
Objective
Raise awareness on the importance of early learning among
parents, caregivers, and policy makers prompting action to
improve early childhood learning in Calhoun County.
Activities
• Participate in United Way of America’s national public
awareness Born Learning campaign utilizing print materials,
radio PSAs, and other national advertising.
• Develop a local communications and ad campaign focusing
on the importance of early learning and the Success by 6
initiative.
• Distribute printed material to parents, caregivers, and child
care workers focusing on tools and tips for ensuring child brain
development.
United Way Success By 6
School Readiness
Objective
To see all of our children equipped with the skills needed to be
ready to learn once they reach kindergarten translating into a
successful school career.
Activities
• Enhancing reading skills by continuing to expand Dolly
Parton’s Imagination Library to ensure all children in Calhoun
County ages zero to five have books to read. Also promotes
parents engaging with their children by encouraging them to
read to their child.
• Distribution of the School Readiness Calendar targeted at
parents of 4-year-olds to ensure children are fully prepared to
begin kindergarten.
United Way Success By 6
Parent Education
Objective
Educate and motivate parents, relatives, caregivers, and child
care providers to encourage early learning.
Activities
• Partner with and support current United Way Partner
Agencies to help provide “parent education” programs such as
Hippy (Family Links), First Steps (Concern for Children), and
Parents as Teachers (Concern for Children).
• Possibly provide early learning workshops and training for day
care providers.
United Way Success By 6
Early Learning Coalition
Objective
Build a network of local, regional, and state coalitions working
to mobilize resources and influence systems to increase school
readiness.
Activities
• Expand the United Way Success By 6 network by reaching
out to Calhoun County and communicating the importance of
early learning through its partnerships.
• Improve skills, increase knowledge, and share innovations
among community leaders engaged in early learning to help us
all advance on the early childhood development path.
United Way Success By 6
Early Learning Coalition
Building a network of local, multi-sector individuals and
organizations to help mobilize our community on behalf of
young children and their families.
Education
Networks
Corporations
Parent Groups
United Way Success By 6
Government
Individuals
Agencies
Neighborhoods
United Way
Faith
community
etc.
Philanthropists
Academia
Associations
Advancing the Common Good
Success in Life
Job Readiness
Success in School
Quality Early Learning
United Way Success By 6
• Studies show that for every $1 invested in
quality early learning, the return is anywhere
from $7 to $17.1
• This investment prevents spending on special
education and grade retention, teen pregnancy,
welfare dependency, juvenile delinquency, arrests
and incarceration. It will increase our workforce
productivity, encourage a strong economy, and
promote a strong tax base.
*SOURCE:
1 – Based on studies from Elmira PEIP, Chicago Child-Parent Centers, and Perry Preschool Project.
United Way Success By 6
“The business community should support quality
early learning programs because they lead to
improved education results, a world-class work
force, a healthier society, and ultimately a stronger
economy.”
~ Joseph M. Tucci, the Business Round Table,
President and CEO of EMC Corporation
United Way Success By 6