United Way of Central Alabama (UWCA) provides the primary staff and organizational support for the United Way Bold Goals Coalition, a network of 200 organizations solving systemic health and education issues in Central Alabama by aligning partners, resources and agendas. This has been an exciting year so far with a number of significant initiatives undertaken and advanced. Here are just a few examples.
- UWCA and members of Bold Goals gathered to celebrate the hard work of local childcare programs participating in Alabama Quality STARS (Quality Rating and Improvement System). This system is a partnership between the Alabama Department of Human Resources and the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education that awards STAR levels to childcare programs that have committed to continuous improvement through a rigorous set of standards. Attendees at the event heard from special guests, including Senator Linda Coleman-Madison and Commissioner Nancy Buckner, as well as childcare providers. When talking about the value of assistance offered through Bold Goals’ Early Learning Action Network and United Way’s Success By 6 program, Jennifer Davis of J. Alex Child Development Center said, “When we started, we were operating on faith and pixie dust. We partnered with the Early Learning Action Network to become a First-Class Pre-K site and with Success by 6, which continues to help my center. Whatever my teachers need, Success By 6 is there.” Read the full story here.
- To show appreciation for all the hard-working tutors from the High Dosage Tutoring Program, UWCA held a thank-you luncheon, where tutors and program coordinators were recognized and awarded certificates. What exactly is the program? Birmingham City Schools (BCS) and UWCA launched an intensive tutoring program for BCS students who are struggling academically due to lingering effects of COVID-19 and other pressures. The program links college students, who serve as tutors, with individuals or small groups of BCS students in need of academic remediation. The tutoring partnership is designed to offset learning loss in the areas of reading and math and provide students with additional academic support for success in school and beyond. If you’re interested in becoming a tutor, visit bcstutoring.org.
- In March, Fairfield City Schools and UWCA hosted a planning luncheon with community partners working to launch a Community Schools strategy within Fairfield in order to strengthen conditions for student learning and healthy development. Beyond being strongholds of grade-level education, schools can serve as community hubs — bringing together numerous partners to offer a wide range of support and opportunities to children, youth, families and communities. More than 90 partners attended the meeting at Fairfield High Preparatory School and shared feedback on ways they could support priorities, such as college and career readiness, student mentoring, financial literacy, social support programs and medical services. With the beginning of the 2023-24 school year, this Fairfield Community Schools strategy officially kicked off. Read more about what to expect next here.