More than 40 years ago, President Lyndon Baines Johnson passed away. The Texas native set the stage for many of our country’s most critical services for those in need, including the Head Start program. His philosophy of providing support services to help American families thrive is an inspiration for our overall work helping the working poor in our community, and particularly the Success By 6 program. In his 1964 State of the Union address, President Johnson declared a War on Poverty – a war we would fight through education and opportunity – and from that speech, the legacy of Head Start was born. The program was based on emerging research that you could break the cycle of poverty by providing a high-quality education to the youngest and most vulnerable among us: preschool-age children. The Head Start model that LBJ championed ensured that the emotional, social, nutritional and psychological needs of children would be met, knowing that it’s not just ABC’s and 123’s that children need to be ready for school, work and life. This is the same philosophy that inspires our work in early childhood. Today, research continues to affirm the value of the Head Start program. Longitudinal research shows that, to predict long-term success, it is not enough to look at what children know – – like how many capital letters they can recognize – but to include executive function and self-regulation – the ability to pay attention, exercise self-control, communicate, use what you know, and take on new challenges. In the […]
Read More[VIDEO] Success By 6 – making sure every child is ready to learn
![[VIDEO] Success By 6 – making sure every child is ready to learn](https://www.unitedwayaustin.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/DigImages_Fall2013_Pt2-03-1.png)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23fsa-DCZn8[/youtube] In our community, only 50 percent of children start school ready to learn – that number drops to 13 percent in low-income Austin neighborhoods. We are working to change that statistic though Success By 6 – our program to fundamentally change the landscape of care for our youngest and most vulnerable children. Today, 90 percent of children who participate in Success By 6 initiatives are on-track developmentally to be ready for school. Want to learn more? Tell us: [pardot-form id=”6638″ title=”Email marketing – welcome series”]
Read MoreUWATX: What We Do
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPZTdJaMoiY[/youtube] United Way for Greater Austin has been in this community since 1924 – committed to making Austin greater by building philanthropy and running strategic programs. In the presentation above, Debbie Bresette, our president since 2009, breaks down how we do it: To build philanthropy, we run employee campaigns, giving everyone in our community who earns a paycheck the opportunity to give back. We also coordinate volunteer efforts because we believe giving your time is valuable as well, and we work to inspire individual giving because we know we are all richer when we give back. Last year, we raised more than $16M for nonprofit organizations and coordinated nearly 100,000 hours of volunteering. Of that fundraising, donors entrusted $5.1M to our organization – and we put that giving to work for Greater Austin. In our strategic programs, se support young children through Success By 6, middle school students through Target Graduation and families through Financial Opportunity, and we provide an easy way to connect to services and resources through the Navigation Center. But we also know that it takes a village – for children to succeed, they need parent support, for families to thrive, they need quality education for their children. So our programs are structured to create wrap-around services. Our work is coordinated, knowing that supporting one student can be a key first step to improving the trajectory of a whole family. It’s also targeted in areas that have the highest needs, innovative (because we keep an eye on the landscape […]
Read MoreSuccess By 6 Champions High-Tech Early Education Initiatives
To make sure children are prepared for school and life, parents need a variety of tools from the time they learn about their bundle of joy right through kindergarten and beyond. But parents are busy and information about how to prepare children is often hard to access, which is why United Way for Greater Austin (UWATX) Success By 6 is championing two initiatives leveraging mobile technology to educate parents as they become their child’s first teacher. We’re partnering with Text4baby, a health literacy initiative where mothers receive weekly text messages, and Ready Rosie, a bilingual video curriculum that teaches parents how to incorporate early learning into daily activities. To sign up for Text4baby, women text “BABY” (or “BEBE” for Spanish) to 511411 and then receive three texts per week on topics like immunization, nutrition, baby’s development and safe sleep practices. The messages are timed to the mother’s due date or their baby’s birth date and go from pregnancy until the baby’s first birthday. Text4baby has enrolled more than 600,000 U.S moms since its February 2011 launch. Locally, UWATX has promoted Text4baby to low-income mothers at community health fairs with posters like the one on the right and included it as a resource at WIC clinics – and it worked: we increased use in Travis County by 70 percent from 2012. Services like Text4baby are critical as low-income children under six are our fastest growing demographic. Prepared parents are a key first step in helping children get on the right path […]
Read MoreAn ambitious challenge: doubling the number of low-income children in high-quality care
We are proud to announce our new United Way for Greater Austin (UWATX) Success By 6 Center Project – an ambitious initiative to help 14 child care centers serving low-income populations meet and keep high-quality ratings. Our goal is to double the number of low-income children in the kind of care that changes lives. [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu_uTm5SeIM[/youtube] Center were selected based different criteria, including the number of low-income children they serve, and ratings from our Women”s Leadership Council. Our partners are: For a child to thrive, they need quality support in their life. That’s why UWATX is focusing on providing child care centers the key benefits that will truly make a difference in children’s lives. From a strong relationship with parents to supportive teachers and well-prepared child care directors, children depend on adults to help them thrive in the critical early years and our research shows that teachers are interested in increasing their education. UWATX is supporting continuing professional development for teachers and funding a mentorship program for center directors. We are also recruiting and training individuals to act as substitutes so that staff members can attend professional development opportunities while maintaining a high standard of care for children. Children also need safe facilities, engaging toys and books and educational materials. To fit these needs, UWATX is leveraging in-kind support through our networks to collect materials. We are also casino online providing tools like the High Scope math curriculum to build a strong foundation in math and kickstart children’s STEM education. […]
Read MoreTop ten things to look for when choosing child care
At United Way for Greater Austin (UWATX), we work to ensure every child is ready for kindergarten with our Success By 6 program—and an important part of that is making sure children enjoy quality care early on in life. To help parents make sure they’re making the right choice for their child, we’ve compiled a top ten list of things to look for: 1. Safe and Secure Safety and security is obviously a parent’s top concern. Look to see if the building and equipment are in good repair. A security system is key—this way only authorized people can come and go, and all entry and exit activity is monitored. 2. Clean and Healthy Cleanliness is also a high priority. Caregivers should encourage children to wash their hands often, especially after using the restroom and before eating. Caregivers should lead by example and follow the same procedures, including after diapering. 3. Warm and Responsive You want to make sure your child is in a kind, loving environment and know that someone is dedicated to attending to your child’s needs. Listen for laughter and conversation between children and teachers. It is important that teachers talk to the children kindly and with respect. Also, look to see if teachers make an effort to talk to the children at eye-level. Infants should be held both lovingly and often. 4. Stimulating and Dynamic Children should be engaged in active learning through play. It is important that the children have interesting things with which to explore, […]
Read More32 dedicated summer VISTAs gave 9K+ hours of service this summer to make Austin greater
This summer, 32 AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associates joined UWATX to gather data, bolster services & increase outreach. Three months later, they’ve given more than nine thousand hours of service and accomplished quite a bit: 9K+ Hours of services our 32 AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associates gave to our community this summer Implemented research-based math curriculum in 17 preschool classrooms reaching over 230 preschool children Assessed over 270 preschool children’s receptive language skills to establish baseline for on-going data collection Translated more than 100 popular children’s titles to increase the Austin Public Library‘s bilingual youth collection Facilitated over 20 youth programming events for the Austin Public Libraries Assisted with bilingual preschool storytimes for more than 500 families Expanded the Out-of-School-Time Mapping Study by surveying 133 for-profit and nonprofit agencies Collected information about family resource centers and rural service providers to expand 2-1-1’s resource database From working with our youngest and most vulnerable children to reaching out to rural counties to provide education about available services, the story of what our AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associates did this summer goes well beyond numbers: “After one event, I was approached by a parent and her young child. She expressed concern about not knowing how to provide a good book for her child who was starting first grade next year because she was not able to speak or read in English. I recommended some books and tried to provide some sense of encouragement. She was very grateful. The VISTA member in me, felt an even greater sense […]
Read MoreParents – tips on getting your kids back to school
This week, school is starting back up after the long summer break. Whether it’s going to Kindergarten for the first time or that final year of school, the transition from the lazy days of summer back into a strict routine can be a challenge for parents and children – so our experts are sharing their top tips for making the process as smooth as possible. Talk to your child about going back to school: Tell them what a typical day might look like starting with getting up in the morning and ending with going to bed at night. Ask them if they have any questions and ask them how it makes them feel to be going back to school (Ex: excited to see/meet friends, nervous about the new teacher, etc). Make the transition easier – start the bedtime and mealtime routine at least a week before school starts. Structure, structure, structure: Write out an evening and a morning routine with your children, including a checklist to make things less hectic. Be consistent and do things in the same order (Ex: Homework, then dinner, then chore, then free time, then shower, then reading, then bed.) If your children are out the door on time, with everything they need for the day, they will feel less stressed and ready for success. And don’t wait till the last minute: re-establish bedtime and mealtime routines at least a week before school starts – this will make the transition back to school smoother. […]
Read MoreMake the most of summer
The summer time, when children are home and work seems to slow down, is an opportunity and a challenge – adults and children alike tend to have more time to explore their interests, but finding the right way to invest your time can be daunting. Without engaging activities, summer can become a barrier for students, and a missed opportunity for adults. Back in the day (just a few years ago), summer was a time for curling up with a new book, but with the explosion of new technology, there’s a whole host of other types of media to enrich your summer. So, inspired by NPR, our on-staff experts on young children, financial literacy and philanthropy put together some recommendations for media that’s good for the heart and the mind: Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood (PBS Show) – A spinoff of Mr. Roger’s Nighborhood, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood is a new animated program for preschoolers ages 2 to 4 that teaches key social skills through imagination, creativity and music. Recommended by: Greg Bennett, father of 2-year-old Lilly and Manager, Public Sector campaigns For: Young children Endless Alphabet (iPad App) – A free iPad app, Endless ABCs helps children build their vocabulary with adorable monsters, interactive puzzles, talking letters and animation. The app helps children recognize letters, understand words and develop their fine motor skills. Recommended by: Amber Welsh, mother of 3-year-old Susan, and Middle School Matters Coordinator For: Young children Signing Time (Show on public television and Nick Jr.) – This show uses music, movement, […]
Read MoreVISTAs join UWATX to gather data, bolster services & increase outreach
This summer, more than 30 summer AmeriCorps VISTA members, the domestic version of the Peace Corps, are joining UWATX to help make Austin greater by collecting data, participating in outreach and providing support for our partners. “This project is a true testament to what UWATX can do – we’ve brought together more than 15 Austin organizations to support a series of vital projects,” said Peter Kretzschmar, Vice President of Strategic Programs at UWATX. VISTAs will spend their ten weeks helping: Provide bilingual story time at the Austin Public Library – In our work to connect families to community services, UWATX found a need for more library support in East Austin. VISTAs will help create materials, translate and facilitate story time for families throughout the summer to fill this gap. Create a first-of-its-kind survey of out-of-school time programs in the Greater Austin area – Currently, there is no comprehensive data on the availability or quality of programs for students outside of school. This research project would be a first step to get a sense of the landscape of services. Teach early math activities at Success By 6 child care centers. To free up center staff for professional development and provide high-quality education, VISTAs will teach a math curriculum and serve as general classroom assistants. Assess language skills at Success By 6 child care centers – By assessing these skills early, UWATX will have a baseline to measure future progress. Raise awareness about 2-1-1 – VISTAs will reach out to the top 100 referred […]
Read More