Our Work - Education

by Nicole Milbradt, Sr. Marketing Associate & Events Manager

We believe education, income and health are the foundation for a good life. A quality education is essential to getting and keeping a job. United Way has always supported this area by funding a safety net of essential human services. Now we want to also address some of the systemic issues and achieve long-lasting changes that prevent problems from happening in the first place.
Here in Pierce County we’re focused on early learning initiatives to ensure all kids entering kindergarten get off to a good start. We also need to provide more safe places and enriching after-school activities for kids.
Our goal is to help children and youth achieve their potential through education. For us, this means increasing the number of children who are ready to succeed upon entering kindergarten and improving access to safe after-school programs that provide high-quality, enriching activities.
Ask any kindergarten teacher and you will hear that development prior to entering school is essential to a child’s success in the classroom. Research says that the same holds true for success later in life. Early learning is critical. In Pierce County, more than half of our children start school without the necessary social and emotional skills needed to thrive.
Here are a few ways United Way is addressing the problem:

• United Way of Pierce County and a team of local partners collaborated to tackle the issue and the Pierce County Early Learning Consortium was born. In 2007, the Consortium developed a business plan with a primary focus of helping parents be the first, best and most important teacher for their.


• Out of the Consortium, First 5 FUNdamentals was created and strives to improve school readiness throughout Pierce County, particularly among children in low-income families.


• United Way is also partnering with local businesses and organizations to secure funding for the early learning effort. Eighteen organizations have made financial commitments totaling well over $1 million, many of which are multi-year commitments to this vital task.
• In 2009, United Way of Pierce County also helped secure a $1.05 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to expand Pierce County’s home visiting program - Promoting First Relationships, part of the county’s First 5 FUNdamentals plan. By meeting parents and children in their own homes, Promoting First Relationships aims to reinforce the parent-child bond, a key indicator for school readiness and school success. The investment will make it possible for 400 more families to participate in the home visiting program, a key intervention that has been shown to promote early learning and help parents be the most influential teachers in their children’s lives.


• In addition, United Way has provided funding to projects like the Annette B. Weyerhaeuser Early Learning Center at Tacoma Community College and the Play to Learn program ran by Children’s Museum of Tacoma in conjunction with the Pierce County Library System and is working to train families and care providers to help kids get ready for school.

WE WANT TO KNOW…What skills and characteristics do you think children need to start school ready to learn?