LIVING UNITED
2011, ISSUE III
Champion of children
Means Education at United Way of Central Ohio Champion of Children has long been a respected resource in our community, and now that powerful name has grown to encompass all of United Way of Central Ohio’s work in the area of Education. Helping children succeed in school and go on to lead productive lives helps all of us. Everyone who works to make that happen is a Champion of Children. So when you see the name “Champion of Children” in the future, think of everything that United Way does to improve education in central Ohio. And United Way is doing more than ever in the area of education. In September, we launched our Champion of Children Education Journal — an interactive electronic journal that informs readers about important developments and explores ideas that can help all of our students succeed. The journal will be emailed ten times a year, and will include interviews with important thought
leaders, profiles of volunteers who are changing young lives, and opportunities to get involved. This thought-provoking journal is one more way people who are passionate about education can come together through United Way and create change. Although Champion of Children has expanded its meaning, it will remain true to its roots by continuing to host the annual Champion of Children Signature Event that brings together a panel of education experts for an enlightening discussion that is taped for broadcast on WOSU Public Media. The event will continue to honor an individual “Champion of Children,” and for the first time will also recognize a local nonprofit organization and present a $5,000 prize to support the winning organization’s mission. The 19th Annual Champion of Children Signature Event will be held on February 7, 2012 at COSI.
United Way’s new Champion of Children Education Journal will be emailed ten times a year. Everyone is encouraged to subscribe at liveunitedcentralohio.org
Columbus Kids Expands Its Groundbreaking Work Columbus Kids: Ready, Set, Learn is focused on reaching every 2 ½ to 4 year old child in the Columbus City Schools district to make sure they are ready for kindergarten. The initiative has already provided assessments to nearly 3,000 children in the central Columbus, Weinland Park and South Linden neighborhoods, and has recently expanded into the south side. Each child is assessed to determine their level of development in areas which most impact school readiness. Parents are also given
materials to help address the needs that are identified. For more serious issues, Columbus Kids connect parents with the services to help their child. So far, the assessments have found 55% of children were on target in school readiness skills, 28.5% needed services or more assessment and another 16% warranted monitoring. Social and emotional development was the primary reason children needed more assessment. Lack of fine motor skills, like properly using crayons and pencils, was the number one reason children needed monitoring. Every six months, the initiative
seek to reconnect with each child to monitor their progress and provide assistance when needed. Research shows Columbus Kids’ approach is working. Results from a sample of 59 children who completed the initial and the third screening found that 30% of the children improved in the developmental areas assessed by the screening tool. Columbus Kids is helping to ensure young children across Columbus are getting the help they need to succeed in kindergarten, and begin their school careers on track to graduate from high school and lead productive lives.