EDUCATION >
United Way has two community goals in the area of Education:
1. Preparing all children to enter school ready to learn.
2. Helping youth achieve their full potential.

COMMUNITY GOAL
Together we can prepare all children to enter school ready to learn.

THE ISSUE
85% of a child’s brain develops before the age of five, so it is critical to provide learning opportunities before formal school begins. In Southwestern Indiana, it is estimated that  60% of the students entering kindergarten received no formal early learning opportunities. Many of these children start school behind their peers and are unable to catch up. 

United Way prepares children to enter school ready to learn by:
• Increasing literacy skills at a young age.
• Increasing family involvement in literacy, health and other factors that lead to school readiness.

KEY STRATEGIES
Born Learning is a United Way public awareness campaign that shows parents and caregivers of young children how to make the most of everyday teachable moments. The program provides easy ways to integrate learning shapes, colors and counting into daily life.

United Way has led efforts to bring together more than 67 organizations and businesses to form the Early Childhood Development Coalition (ECDC). United Way secured a $500,000 4community grant through the Indiana Association of United Ways funded by the Lilly Endowment. An additional $500,000 in matching funds were raised through corporate and local contributions to use for early childhood initiatives. United Way continues to provide staff and resources for the coalition, as well as serving as the fiscal agent. ECDC has an independent Board of Directors.

Key focus areas for ECDC are: Literacy, Health and Nutrition, Family Involvement and School Readiness. Recent projects for the Early Childhood Development Coalition included a lead awareness campaign, literacy parties and kindergarten readiness preparedness for families. Please check out our progress in our 2009 Report to the Community
To learn more or to get involved, contact ECDC.

Napoleon's Adventure Club Napoleon Peacock is here to help children develop a love of reading! This partnership with the Early Childhood Development Coalition and Welborn Baptist Foundation includes a series of local children’s books, Parent Guides and educational TV programs on WNIN. By engaging children at a young age, we will help prepare them for school and a lifetime of learning and success. Our first book is Napoleon Peacock’s Adventure in Amazonia and takes place at Mesker Park Zoo.

Funded Programs - Early Childhood
Carver Community Organization
Day Care for Preschool Program
Evansville ARC
Child Life Center
St. Vincent's Day Care Center
Early Childhood Education
Youth Service Bureau
Healthy Families Program

Early Childhood Development Coalition Partners

Did you know?
Every $1 invested in early childhood yields at least an $8 return to the community through saved taxpayer-funded social services. Indiana is one of only eight states that does not invest any public funding in early childhood programs.
Children who participate in early learning programs experience higher employment and compensations rates into adulthood.

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COMMUNITY GOAL
Together we can help youth achieve their full potential.

THE ISSUE
Most teen behavioral problems occur Monday through Friday between 3 and 6 p.m.  Those are the high-risk hours after school, before parents return home from work. Quality after school programs give children something to do at a time of day when they are most vulnerable to be victims of crimes and most vulnerable to bad influences.

United Way helps youth achieve their full potential by:
• Ensuring youth have positive role models.   
• Reducing tobacco, alcohol and drug use among youth.
• Increasing graduation rates.

KEY STRATEGIES
United Way is an active participant in the School-Community Council. In the early 1990s, United Way received a grant from the Lilly Endowment to form afterschool programs. Then, in 1994, United Way funds went to Cedar Hall Elementary to form the first full service community school. These early efforts grew into the School-Community Council. Numerous studies have shown that the healthier and happier children are outside of the classroom, the greater the chance that they will succeed in the classroom.

Funded programs - Youth
Big Brothers, Big Sisters of the Ohio Valley
Adult & Child Surrogate Relationship Program
Boys & Girls Club of Evansville
Comprehensive Youth Development
Boy Scouts of America Buffalo Trace Council
High Risk Troops Program
Learning for Life Program
Scout Reach & Urban Emphasis
Carver Community Organization
After School Outreach Program
Catholic Charities
School Counseling Program
PEERS Program
Lampion Center
Family Life Education & Community Service
Girl Scouts of Raintree Council
Discovering You
Mental Health America, Spencer Co.
Youth Advocacy Program
Mental Health America, Vanderburgh & Warrick
Growing Through Loss
Vanderburgh County CASA
Child Protection Program
YMCA
Camp Carson Scholarship Program
Diamonds Program
Y-CAP Program
YWCA
Live Y'ers Program