United Way of Allen County's

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United Way of Allen County

Volunteer

Ready to volunteer? Click on a partner link below so find out how!

Learn United is United Way of Allen County's education initiative focused on engaging the community to support children's success in school. Through the Learn United collective impact collaborative, a 'menu of volunteer options' are now available thanks to agencies working together to give members of the community every opportunity to support a child.

Additionally, United Way has partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Indiana to continue to provide our two school-based programs that support local elementary children's literacy skills. School Buddies provides opportunities for adults to work one-on-one with a child who needs help with reading, while Real Men Read asks adults to read to an entire classroom and help develop a love for literacy among the students.

United Way of Allen County funds programming designed to help all local children Succeed in School and life. One measurement United Way pays close attention to is the Reading Achievement Gap, or the gap in literacy between children from moderate- and high-income homes and those from low-income homes. In the spring of 2011, 26 percent (566) of low-income third-graders did not pass the reading portion of the ISTEP test. This number is an improvement over numbers from previous years, but there is still progress to make! United Way of Allen County is working in partnership with local school districts, businesses, and non-profit agencies that serve youth in the collective effort to continue improving area children's reading skills.
 
Third grade literacy levels are particularly important because research shows that before third grade, children learn to read and after third grade, children read to learn. A comprehensive 2011 study from the Annie E. Casey Foundation finds that children “who don’t read at grade level by the end of third grade are four more times likely to leave school without a diploma than proficient readers.”
 
United Way is funding two volunteer programs in partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Indiana to help more children read at the third grade level.  The programs, School Buddies and Real Men Read, connect volunteers with elementary students in local public school districts. The volunteers help students with their literacy skills, while at the same time promote a love for reading. Anyone wanting to join one of these programs should call Big Brothers Big Sisters at 260-456-1600.