NEWS RELEASE
For Release October 26, 2007
Contact: Penny Borgia, Chief Operating Officer
863.648.1500 ext. 275 cell# 813-477-7071
Or Terry Worthington, President
863.648.1500 x 245 cell# 863.712.0320
$100,000 AVAILABLE THROUGH UNITED WAY TO HELP CHILDREN SUCCEED IN SCHOOL
Polk County, FL – The United Way of Central Florida is offering $100,000 in new grant funding for programs that help children to succeed in school.
Only 39% of Polk County kindergarten students enter school “consistently demonstrating” readiness for school. Children who start behind, stay behind.
“It is not a coincidence that 25% of the students enter kindergarten in Polk County unprepared and that 30% never finish high school. These issues are related. After 16 months of study, a diverse group of dedicated business leaders and educators prioritized school readiness and language proficiency as a focus area,” says Cindy Price of TECO who led the Community Impact study.
Price says that experts educated committee members about the consequences of school failure. Students who struggle in school are more likely to use drugs, get pregnant, get arrested and have difficulty finding work. The resulting financial stress affects marriages and the ability to afford housing. The consequences of school failure are wide spread, expensive and long lasting.
“United Way’s grant is an effort to ‘prime the pump.’ It will be available to non-profits qualified as 501(c)(3) organizations whose collaborative efforts show measurable outcomes. This is a start, but the community will need additional support from a variety of sources over the next 5-7 years to sustain a meaningful change,” says Terry Worthington, President of the United Way of Central Florida.
Programs that receive an impact grant are eligible to apply for continued funding from the United Way. Programs that do not currently receive United Way funding will have an opportunity to participate in the competitive allocation process.
Information about the grant is available at www.uwcf.org or call Penny Borgia 863.648.1500 ext. 275.
United Way of Central Florida, with administrative offices in Highland City, has been serving our local community for over 25 years by understanding local needs and driving lasting change to build better lives and stronger communities.
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