Education -- Helping Children Succeed

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Children learn best in loving, nurturing relationships and through everyday experiences.  Whether children are at home, with relatives or friends, or in childcare - the quality of early education is key to later school success.

Children entering kindergarten with skills they need to succeed are more likely to graduate from high school and become productive workers. But almost half of America's kindergarteners are behind - those from low-wage households by two years. Most will not catch up.  With more than 1.2 million children dropping out each year, America faces a dropout crisis.

The cost?  More than $312 billion in lost wages, taxes and productivity over their lifetimes according to Communities in Schools, one of America's leading drop-out prevention partnerships. These trends are reversible, but only when communities and public, private and nonprofit sectors work together.

FACT: If every 16-19 year old who is not in school and does not have a diploma simply graduated, they would earn an additional $3 billion in income in just four years.     -- Texas Education Agency

We will further develop and expand our capability to assess needs and priorities, and to monitor changes of community conditions in this impact area through: Funding of programs and services; Collaboration-partnerships with funders, government agencies and/or community agencies/organizations to formulate plans and initiatives to implement strategies; and/or Advocacy-the process of influencing policy makers including elected and appointed officials to achieve changes in rules, legislation or practice.

Our goals are to:

Increase the percentage of children who enter school ready to learn.                           

 

Increase the percentage of youth graduating from high school who are ready for college, technical training, apprenticeship programs, employment or military service.

 

Increase access to mental health services for children (including behavioral health).