Education Initiatives

Cradle to Kindergarten raises awareness about the importance of early childhood learning and ensures that our youngest citizens can enter kindergarten ready to learn.

Volunteers are matched with at-risk children through Real Men Read and School Buddies to increase the number of children reading at grade level by the end of third grade.

Education Network: a growing group of local early childhood and youth-serving agencies that work in collaboration with United Way to provide opportunities for volunteers to work with children in our community. Visit www.UWEducationNetwork.org to find a searchable listing of opportunities at participating agencies. There is something for everyone — see what works best for you! 

Kindergarten Countdown: a partnership with Community Transportation Network, East Allen County Schools, Fort Wayne Community Schools and Lutheran Health Network, which will identify children at-risk for entering kindergarten unprepared to learn and offer a four-week, summer preparatory session to help get them on track with their peers. Kindergarten Countdown will foster classroom interactions with teachers and other children and focus on developing age-appropriate literacy and social-emotional skills.

Let's Talk: this awareness campaign is slated to target the community at large, but specifically encourages parents and care providers to talk, sing songs, read books and verbally interact with children from birth. These seemingly simple activities with babies and young children will help them develop and strengthen language and cognitive skills and be prepared to learn in kindergarten.