GREAT FALLS — Since its inception, United Way of Cascade County (UWCC) has promoted early childhood education. According to the non-profit, it is the cornerstone of individual and community success. When a child drops out, it costs our community $260,000 in lost wages, taxes and productivity over their lifetimes.
When community members work together, we can increase the number of students graduating on time and ready for college or work.
That is why United Way of Cascade County alongside Great Falls Public Schools is encouraging students to read more, and asking community members to get involved in those efforts.
The campaign is called "Read 2 Me."
UWCC Marketing Director, Kim Skornogoski stated, "This is our ninth year, and essentially every year, we give every single second grader a brand-new book. The school district helps us pick a book that they know kids will like at this age, and it kicks off a reading challenge.”
United Way recruited 20 volunteers to go into each Great Falls Public Schools elementary school to read books to 2nd graders. They also gave them a book as a way of encouraging them to read throughout the month. For every 20 minutes the students read, they enter for a chance at gift cards to buy more books.
Skornogoski noted that the "Read 2 Me" campaign is especially important because after third grade, students who can’t read at grade level are four times more likely to drop out of school. Therefore, by pairing students with mentors and offering extra homework help, they hope to increase the number of children reading proficiently from 87 percent to 95 percent.
"We know that by the end of third grade, students need to be reading at grade level in order to succeed," she noted. "In fact, students who don’t read at the end of grade level by the end of third grade are five times more likely to drop out of school, and that’s because after third grade, students need to be able to 'read to learn' as opposed to 'learn to read'.”
Sheryl Thompson, a teacher at Loy Elementary School, says reading helps students get to their next step.
“It’s really nice to have readers come into our classroom and read to us," she said. "I think that it’s well done and they’re picking books that they are interested in, so I’m grateful for the program.”
Last year, GFPS 2nd graders read more than 52,000 minutes during the Read 2 Me challenge.
As part of the state-wide Graduation Matters program, UWCC works collaboratively with local agencies, including the school district, to help more preschoolers prepare for kindergarten, more elementary students improve their reading skills, more high school students attend class and more seniors graduate on time and ready for the next step in their lives.
Ultimately, the effort relies on parents, students, teachers, businesses and the community at large to work together to ensure our students graduate on time and ready for work or college.
Click here to visit their website: https://www.uwccmt.org/
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