One thing that sets United Way for Greater Austin apart from other non-profits is that all of our programs are research-based and results-driven. We are happy to announce the latest set of data showing our Success By 6 program is making a measurable, positive impact on local children. Between August of 2014 and July 2015, five AmeriCorps members were placed at seven Early Learning and Child Development Centers (five of which we work with through our Center Project, two that are family-serving agencies with early literacy programs). The members provided intensive math and literacy interventions to children for seven months. The AmeriCorps members engaged in both small group and one-on-one instruction with the children using research-based curriculum. Results from this project are extraordinary and broken down in three ways: gains made in language development, gains made in math skills and gains made on any assessment. 100% of children who received the intervention made gains in either their math or vocabulary levels, if not both. First, we looked whether children participating in the intervention showed improvement on either their language or math skills. Language skills were assessed by the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) or its Spanish equivalent, Test de Vocabulario en Imágenes Peabody (TVIP). These assessments look at a child’s ability to understand specific words that are said to them, which is called receptive language ability. The math assessment was developed by UWATX’s Success By 6 staff and was based on the High Scope Numbers Plus curriculum. It measures a […]
Read MoreTwo-Generation Pilot Project Shows ESL As Biggest Need
Ascend is a policy program of The Aspen Institute, an educational and policy studies organization that aims to pass on economic security and educational success from one generation to another. They emphasize a two-generation approach in every thing they do, meaning that they want to create opportunities for both the parent and child living in disadvantaged situations. UWATX received a grant from The Aspen Institute Ascend Fund in order to develop and test a two-gen pilot project of our own. United Way for Greater Austin engaged two researchers from the University of Texas’s Ray Marshall Center to measure impact through an evaluation that used multiple methodologies, including participant focus groups, individual interviews, surveys and pre- and post-skill tests. At the onset of the pilot, UWATX met with community partners to discuss project strategies to test an adult education care model for parents with children already engaged in high-quality early education. With Austin Independent School District (AISD) and Uphaus Early Childhood Center, UWATX developed an outreach plan to reach potential participants. After several weeks of dedicated outreach, UWATX reached over 100 parents and learned some valuable lessons. Over half of respondents cited English as their primary need and interest. Those who were interested, qualified and eligible for job training had diverse interests, making it difficult to form a cohort. At the same time, UWATX learned most of the job training families had reliable transportation and could access the existing training centers, while the Spanish-speaking families struggled with isolation. All of this […]
Read MoreGet Together, Austin!
We are excited to present Get Together Austin, an initiative led by United Way for Greater Austin, along with some of Austin’s most beloved musicians, to ensure every child in our community has the chance to succeed. We recruited 16 local, caring musicians who gave their time and talents to raise awareness about the need for high-quality preschool for low-income kids and the need for our community to come together as one to make this happen. We shot these musicians singing their own take of the song “Get Together” by The Youngbloods, a song about joining together to create positive change; we could not have picked a better song to portray our message. Artists involved: A. Sinclair, Abram Shook, Calliope Musicals, Colin Gilmore, Dale Watson, Dana Falconberry, Gina Chavez, Golden Dawn Arkestra, Grupo Fantasma, LaTasha Lee & the Black Ties, Magna Carda, Quiet Company, Royal Forest, Sara Hickman, Shakey Graves and Wild Child. We shot the video with production crew Arts+Labor in iconic Austin locations, from Zilker Park and Barton Springs pool to various murals, including our own “You’re My Butter Half” mural. We strived to get artists from a variety of genres, demographics and backgrounds to showcase the diversity of Austin itself. Our early childhood education initiatives work with other community organizations to provide a variety of services tailored to each family and child, including parent education classes and affordable quality childcare and preschool programs. 90% of young children that receive these services are ready for school upon entering […]
Read MoreInternational Literacy Day 2015
Did you know that children growing up in homes with at least 20 books get three years more schooling than children from bookless homes, independent of their parents’ education, occupation and class? Today (September 8th) is International Literacy Day, and we are taking the opportunity to stress the importance of beginning to teach your children to read as soon as possible. Here are some classroom/home activities you can take part in while celebrating International Literacy Day, provided by internationalliteracyday.org: Scavenger Hunt Create a scavenger hunt where the answers are found in a book. This keeps your child active, engaged and critically thinking while making a game out of learning. Read-a-thon Encourage children to read as many books as possible within a certain time period (a day, a week, a month, etc.). Help them to track the books they are reading and monitor their progress on a chart to show how much they’ve read over time. Book Sale/Exchange Have any old books you want to toss out? Host a book sale/exchange at your school, or even in your driveway à la garage sale. This is an inexpensive way to not only find new books for your child to love, but spread the love of reading to even more children in your community. Writing Competition Host a writing competition within your family and provide a special theme. You can even make it more challenging by developing a list of required vocabulary words to include in the story. First prize? A trip to your local bookstore! Character Dress Up […]
Read MoreTips on How to Choose a Childcare Provider
Finding the right childcare environment for your child can be an difficult task. As a parent, you want to verify that your child is receiving quality childcare throughout the early stages of their lives. Whether you decide on in-home care or out-of-home care, here are some tips on how to help you decide what is most suitable for your child’s need provided by KidsHealth.org: If you are considering a childcare setting, spend some time observing the center and staff, as well as talk to the parents who already have their kids enrolled. Evaluate what you observed and what other parents said about the childcare center or provider. Consider the child-rearing disciplines and ask yourself if they resonate with your personal discipline style. If you find interest with in-home care, which involves hiring a nanny or au pair, it is recommended to use licensed agencies for your hiring process. In-home care works well for parents that have careers with busy schedules, usually jobs that require business trips and working overtime. If you decide to hire an in-home caregiver, create guidelines and rules that outline job duties, hours, pay and other obligations. Parents should make sure that the nanny or au pair has the resources and support to be a positive caregiver. Always make yourself available by phone in case an emergency occurs. Interview your prospective hire at least twice and conduct a criminal background check. It is critical that you verify all staff have passed background checks. Ask your potential caregiver questions […]
Read MoreBack to School Savings Tips
School is right around the corner, and every year it seems like back to school shopping gets more expensive. From pencils to textbooks, there’s a lot to spend on in order to prepare your child adequately for the school year. In 2014, the National Retail Foundation reported that the average family with children in grades K-12 will spend $669.28 on apparel, shoes, supplies and electronics. That’s a huge cost – and one that not every family can afford. It is important that every student begins the school year with the resources they need to be successful. If you are looking to minimize costs, here are some tips and resources on how to do so: AISD Back to School Bash On August 15 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Austin ISD will be hosting the 10th Back to School Bash at the Palmer Events Center. There will be free backpacks for AISD students filled with school supplies (while supplies last), free vision exams and free vaccination opportunities. Be sure to bring your child’s shot record! AISD will also be providing free shuttles at various locations throughout Austin. Find out more information on the shuttles here. Shop at Local Thrift and Second Hand Stores Most people go straight to big name stores when they shop for back-to-school however, thrift stores can be some of the best places to find affordable gently-used clothing for the school year. Find a Goodwill Central Texas or Salvation Army to find some quality second-hand bargains which will help you save in […]
Read MoreFree Educational Summer Activities for Children
Think about when you take time off of work to go on vacation. It can be hard to get back in the groove of things when you return; this is similar to what your kids experience when they have time off from school. When school is out of session, many children struggle to find educational opportunities in the summer months. According to the National Summer Learning Association, research spanning 100 years show that students typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer break than they do on the same tests at the beginning of summer break (White, 1906; Heyns, 1978; Entwisle & Alexander 1992; Cooper, 1996; Downey et al, 2004). It is critical for kids to keep their minds active to avoid the summer learning loss that so many children unfortunately experience. Summer is actually a great time to strengthen a child’s academic skills while still balancing other nonacademic fun summer activities. Here is a diverse list of FREE educational summer activities for your kids to enjoy this summer that will help prevent digression in their academic skills: Literacy Luau at Bright Horizons at Round Rock On Saturday, July 18th from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Bright Horizons at Round Rock is offering a Hawaiian-themed event that will include storytelling using Smart board technology, family-oriented literacy activities and a hula dance performance from Island Rhythms Hula Company. Parents can also learn how to document literacy for all ages! Summer Playgrounds Program Summer Playgrounds is a drop-in program providing quality recreational experiences that […]
Read MoreUWATX Unveils the SRAP 2015-2018
SRAP 2012-2015 In 2012, UWATX unveiled the first phase of the School Readiness Action Plan (SRAP), an ambitious three-year plan to increase the percentage of children who enter Kindergarten school ready. This plan is made possible by a large community coalition made up of caring community leaders, advocates, parents, service providers and educators, all dedicated to improving life for Austin’s children. The 2012-2015 Action Plan included strategies to leverage public funding, engage public officials and business leaders and target existing services more strategically. It also proposed increasing per capita spending on early childhood by 20 percent and targeting existing programs to focus on younger children. The results we’ve seen from the first phase of this plan are clear and positive: it is creating real change in the lives of young children and families in Central Texas. Since the plan went into effect in 2012: The percentage of children who entered kindergarten “school ready” increased by 5 percent, from 49 percent to 54 percent last year. The number of vulnerable families receiving home visiting services in our county nearly tripled, improving health outcomes for the children and dramatically reducing the likelihood of child abuse in these homes. The City of Austin increased their Health and Human Services funding for early childhood by nearly $1 million over the three year period. The Austin Public Library more than doubled the number of bilingual storytimes in low-income communities as a response to community advocacy. View all results from the 2012-2015 Action Plan. This plan […]
Read MoreUWATX Wins Common Good Award
United Way for Greater Austin received a 2015 United Way Common Good Award for our work in early childhood development. The award comes from United Way Worldwide, the umbrella organization that guides nearly 1,800 local United Ways around the world. UWATX is one of only three United Way chapters worldwide to be honored by United Way Worldwide as a 2015 recipient for strengthening communities by advancing the common good through innovative practices that are making a measurable impact in education, income and health. United Way Common Good Awards recognize promising and effective practices from communities around the world that are applying a range of solutions to community challenges along the impact continuum. This year, the award recognizes excellence and effectiveness in the areas of Program Solutions, Impact Initiatives and Community Solutions. UWATX earned the Common Good Award for Impact Initiatives in recognition of the School Readiness Action Plan. The first School Readiness Action Plan was published in 2012 to address the needs of all children in achieving the cognitive, physical, social, emotional and language skills needed to thrive in an educational setting. Currently, only half of children living in Central Texas enter kindergarten prepared for school success. Research indicates a strong correlation between high-quality early education and overall school success. To address these needs, UWATX formed a coalition of early childhood advocates, experts, parents, service providers and business leaders to ensure school readiness is a priority in Austin/Travis County. “It is a tremendous honor to be recognized as a role model […]
Read MoreSchool Readiness Action Plan Three-Year Update
SRAP (2012-2015) United Way for Greater Austin is the leader of a large community coalition dedicated to ensuring that all children in Travis County enter kindergarten prepared for success. Currently, only half of our community’s children enter kindergarten prepared for school success – and children of low-income families are especially at-risk for poor school achievement. We know that children who start behind tend to stay behind – and supporting healthy brain development in the early years is far more effective than treating problems at a later age. Over the past three years, United Way has led a strong coalition of early childhood advocates, experts, parents, service providers and business leaders to put together an ambitious plan to fundamentally change the landscape of care for our youngest community members. It is our hope that this plan will inspire and guide community leaders, advocates, parents, service providers and educators to participate in a movement that will allow Travis County to be the best place to prosper and raise a family for decades to come. Three-Year Highlights The first phase of the SRAP (2012- 2015) wrapped up this year, and we are proud to share the results. Read the full SRAP Year Three Update here! Thanks to the School Readiness Action Plan, more than 5,000 families now receive information through free videos, text messages and printed guides about how to help their children become school-ready. The Austin Public Library more than doubled the number of bilingual storytimes in low-income communities as a response to community advocacy. […]
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