Championing Childhood Success Across Five Counties

Children’s earliest experiences can determine their ability to succeed in school and life. Early access to quality education programs is essential to promoting children’s development and learning well into the future.

 

“When children are successful, the whole community thrives,” said Laura Clark, executive vice president and chief impact officer at United Way of Central Carolinas. “United Way helps ensure children reach their full potential through an array of effective programs that begin at birth. These interventions include high quality early learning programs, tutoring and youth development programs that improve social-emotional and academic skills.”

 

At United Way of Central Carolinas, we support our five-county footprint through a network of community partners, including several organizations focused specifically on the success of children and youth.

 

Here are some of our partners helping to ensure every child in our region has the tools and resources needed to reach their full potential:

 

ANSON | Anson County Partnership for Children

 

Anson County Partnership for Children administers various programs that create a multi-faceted approach to literacy by involving parents, children, teachers and community members.

 

The Raising a Reader program collaborates with over 30 early childhood classrooms in Anson County to provide weekly take-home book bags with developmentally appropriate books for children.

 

Another program, Motheread, aims to improve school readiness in kids from birth to age 5 by teaching parents the importance of engaging children in reading daily from an early age.

 

CABARRUS | Academic Learning Center

 

Academic Learning Center provides after-school tutoring for children that is designed to improve academic performance, reading proficiency and math skills through quality instruction by certified teachers.

 

The after-school tutoring enables students to experience academic and personal growth and works to close the achievement gap among schoolchildren.

 

The program serves approximately 500 students in afterschool programs held at a dozen Title I elementary schools in the Cabarrus County.

 

MECKLENBURG | Freedom School Partners

 

Freedom School Partners strengthens children’s literacy skills and helps them develop the social-emotional skills needed to make good decisions and connect to a broader community that believes in and advocates for them.

 

Led by college student interns, the organization engages parents as partners to support scholars’ success.

 

Freedom School Partners has programming at sites including Alexander Graham Middle School serving families in Grier Heights and Renaissance West STEAM Academy serving families from the Renaissance community and West Boulevard corridor – areas which are included in United Way’s United Neighborhoods initiative.

 

MOORESVILLE-LAKE NORMAN | Davidson/Cornelius Child Development Center

 

Davidson/Cornelius Child Development Center makes high-quality early childhood education and care affordable and accessible to low-income Lake Norman families while parents work or receive education and training to expand their economic opportunities.

 

The center’s sliding-scale scholarship program targets working families with children in the low, very low and extremely low-income categories based on Mecklenburg County HUD income limits.

 

Assistance ranges from 35-75 percent of tuition, based on the family’s ability to pay using HUD criteria.

 

UNION | Literacy Council of Union County

 

Literacy Council of Union County champions early childhood literacy instruction through programs like Motheread.

 

English and Spanish instruction is offered to families in high-priority elementary schools, community centers and churches in Union County.

 

While the Motheread program focuses on school readiness and reading for children from birth to age 5, the Literacy Council seeks to expand the scope to include mothers of children enrolled in pre-K to third grade.

 

Help us continue to invest in children in our community by giving to United Way or by volunteering as a tutor.