Helping Students in King County Graduate
Education is a gateway out of poverty, but odds are often stacked against low-income students from the start. United Way is working to break down these barriers in order to give young people in the Seattle area a fighting chance.
Words heard by age 5 (in millions)
By the time low-income children are 5 years old, they will have heard 30 million fewer words than their wealthy peers.
Nearly two out of three low-income kids in King County start school behind their more affluent peers.
That’s not fair. And what happens if you start school behind? Are you ever able to catch up?
For 14,000 youth in Seattle and King County, the answer has been no. Instead, these disconnected youth have dropped out of school, have no plans to attend college, and don’t have viable job prospects.
Solutions That Speak for Themselves
United Way uses proven solutions to coach parents, help pre-K kids prepare for the classroom, and support high school students to get back on track after major struggles or dropping out.
ParentChild+
The ParentChild+ program supports families during the crucial early years of child development. Trained coaches bring educational books and toys to parents to help them become their child’s first and best teacher.
Impact to date
1,300
Families participating in the program
95%
Completion rate of participants
30
Percentage points more likely to graduate
Reconnecting Youth
United Way provides alternative methods and support for youth to complete their education and work towards a high school dimploma, a college degree, and a stable career.
Impact to date
1,530
Youth earned a high school credential
8,609
Participants in the program
$16M+
Raised to help reconnect youth
Bridge to Finish
It’s widely acknowledged that education is the best way to break the cycle of poverty. Yet, living in poverty makes being in college tough. At community college—where more than half of students are low-income—it can be especially challenging
Your support helps connect students to services so they can stay in school and complete their education. Our teams are on-site at 9 community colleges around the county. We know that one-time emergency grants can be the difference between dropping out and persisting. We also provide financial coaching, help applying for financial aid and free tax preparation.
Impact to Date
9
College Campuses Involved
9%
Higher Persistence Rate for Participants
5,347
Students Served
You Can Get Involved
These programs have been proven to be effective in helping students graduate. Now we need your support to bring these programs to scale. By 2020 our goal is to have 80% of low-income kids start kindergarten prepared and to re-engage 7,000 disconnected youth. Will you help students graduate by giving a gift today?