United Way Worldwide and Diplomas Now

Mobilizing Communities and Partnering for Educational Success

Stacey StewartExecutive Vice President, United Way WorldwideDiplomas Now Summer Institute 2011July 8, 2011

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Why we’re in business

Mission

To improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities around the world to advance the common good.

Value Proposition

We galvanize and connect a diverse set of individuals and institutions, and mobilize resources, to create long-term change.

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Big goals = Big challenge

United Way set out a challenge in 2008, that by 2018 we would work with communities to:

• Cut by half the number of students who drop out• Cut by half the number of financially unstable lower-

income working families • Improve by one-third the number of healthy risk-avoiding

youth and adults

Audacious goals that can’t be achieved by United Way alone

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Our 2018 Education Goal

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United Way’s Education Focus

We must give our children the tools to:– Enter school ready to succeed – Read proficiently by 4th grade; – Make a successful transition to middle

school; – Graduate from high school on time; and – Be ready for success in college, work and life

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Education Volunteer Call To Action:Connecting People + Strategies

Early Grade Reading: Reading buddies and coaches to increase reading proficiency

Middle School Success: Tutors and mentors to engage middle school students

High School Completion: Tutors and mentors to support high school completion and prepare students for college

United Way high impact approaches for middle and high school success

• Establish early warning and intervention systems to identify students at risk of dropping out and provide these students with tailored school, family, and community supports.

• Engage and inform parents and families of how best to support their children’s success. Strengthen school-family connections and empower parents to advocate for their children and reform.

• Ensure that school districts provide schools with the necessary conditions for success, including strong systems and policies regarding teaching effectiveness, school leadership, accountability, funding, school absence, and discipline.

• Turn around low-performing schools and provide new school options. Schools must be designed and staffed to boost student engagement and academic performance, support student transitions, and provide clear pathways to college and career.

United Way roles in implementing these strategies

• Build and grow cross-sector collaborations• Engage with key stakeholders and represent the

community• Analyze community dropout data• Sponsor needs assessments of low graduation rate

schools• Focus community efforts on strategies that work• Mobilize person power, institutions and financial resources • Measure, evaluate, and communicate results

Why a Diplomas Now and United Way partnership?

• Our goals are aligned• Diplomas Now and United Way both focus on collaboration

and collective action • Overlapping target schools and communities • Shared focus on data and evidence

United Way in Diplomas Now partnerships

• Engage and develop support among local stakeholders• Mobilize the second shift of caring adults• Leverage Diplomas Now partnership to expand community-wide

dropout prevention efforts• Enhance parent and family engagement• Enhance corporate and philanthropic support• Strengthen alignment of out-of-school programs• Enhance policy and advocacy platform for school

transformation• Scale local success models