Literacy
Born Learning
Community Impact: Improving Lives by Mobilizing Communities to Create Sustained Changes in Community Conditions
United Way of the Greater Capital Region believes that to positively impact the greatest number of lives, we must act collectively to change the economic and social conditions that most adversely affect our communities. We do this by identifying and working on the most compelling issues facing our region.
Issue
Why School Readiness Matters
- Research in both brain and child development document that the early childhood years are critical to cognitive, social and emotional growth.
- Over time, quality early learning matters. Studies show that every dollar spent on early childhood programs saves $7 to $17 in future intervention costs. This return is realized through lower rates of crime, more stable families and higher individual education levels and earnings.
Mission
The United Way Family Support Network’s mission is to strengthen families and improve community outcomes by building capacity, resources and supports. The building blocks of United Way’s Family Support Network are our United Way Family Resource Centers; centers for families, particularly those who are low to moderate income, to come for a variety of support, services and skill development.
The Family Support Network’s Born Learning program serves as a catalyst and convener of community resources to ensure that young children have the opportunity every day for quality early learning and to support families and caregivers as children’s first teachers.
United Way Strategy
Born Learning is a multi-tiered strategy that includes:
- Community Awareness
- Information and Education
- Targeted Outreach and Education
Community Awareness
- Born Learning will support a region-wide community awareness campaign that will provide tools necessary to help parents, caregivers and communities provide quality earning learning opportunities for young children.
- Parents and caregivers understand that children are born learning and that everyday moments can be used to encourage learning.
Information and Education
- Families, parents and caregivers throughout the Capital Region have access to education and resources to promote their children’s cognitive, social and emotional development.
- Born Learning will teach specific action steps, which are fun and easy to do during daily life, to support early learning for young children.
Targeted Outreach and Intervention
- Families, parents and caregivers throughout the Capital Region receive training and education, resources and assistance to promote cognitive, social and emotional development so they are equipped to stimulate early learning.
- Children cared for in out-of-home settings during the day receive high quality early care and education.
- Children transition smoothly from early care and education to kindergarten.
- Service providers that work with children and families in Capital region neighborhoods provide effective, accessible and coordinated services meeting the needs of the community.
Goals
United Way Family Resource Centers’ ultimate goal is to enlist community change by becoming the go-to place for families for a variety of needs including social services, socialization, volunteerism, and for developing community connections. United Way’s Born Learning program creates opportunity for success by ensuring that every child is emotionally, socially and academically ready for kindergarten.
Community Impact
Since its inception in November, 2006, 25 families, parents and caregivers from Schenectady County have successfully completed Born Learning workshops. Initial data shows an increased knowledge in the following areas:
- Pre-school literacy
- Reading to children
- Structure and discipline
- Literacy and Art
In August 2007, 250 community residents attended the Mont Pleasant Family Festival at the newly revitalized Orchard Street Park in Schenectady, NY. The festival, coordinated by United Way Born Learning staff, featured educational, fun activities courtesy of 12 community partners.