Success By 6, an early childhood initiative of the United Ways of Lake, LaPorte and Porter Counties, awarded nine local agencies grants totaling $88,000 on September 6, 2013.
The United Way Success By 6 released an RFP (Request for Proposal) to nonprofit agencies in Lake, Porter and LaPorte Counties that offer kindergarten readiness programs in a preschool setting and received an overwhelming response, with proposals detailing needs in excess of $200,000. Of the submissions, nine agency programs – three from each county -- were chosen to receive a portion of the $88,000. The recipients include:
- Dunebrook
- Early Learning Partnership of Northwest Indiana
- Hilltop Neighborhood House
- Imagination Station
- LaPorte County Family YMCA
- Mental Health America of Lake County
- Parents as Teachers of Porter County
- School City of Hobart Parents as Teachers
- Valparaiso Family YMCA
Dr. Mary Jane Eisenhauer, Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education at Purdue North Central and Chair of the Success By 6 Steering Committee, presented the awards. Dr. Eisenhauer commented, “The academic success of children in later years depends heavily on their readiness to enter kindergarten. These programs represent outstanding programs in our region, which excel at preparing our preschoolers for academic success.”
Success By 6 is United Way’s early learning community impact initiative that helps prepare our youngest children for a successful transition to school. Success By 6 pursues multiple strategies including public awareness, parent education, increasing quality childcare and increasing public access to services like health care and literacy to galvanize communities to help young children come to school ready to learn. Success By 6 is the nation’s largest network of early childhood coalitions. For more information, please visit www.uwsuccessby6.org.
Sharon Kish, President of United Way of Porter County stated, “We are very proud of Success By 6. It truly embodies the heart of United Way, bringing together multiple community partners, collaborating to meet a shared goal. By creating a positive future for these students, we are also creating a positive future for our communities and our entire region.”
United Way improves lives by mobilizing the caring power of the community through financial and volunteer resource development. United Way invests in 3 core strategies: Education, Financial Stability, and Health. The three United Ways help thousands of families in Northwest Indiana build better lives.