PREPARED TO THRIVE
SUPPORT EVERY STEP OF THE WAY
In 2021, United Way of the Piedmont shifted our work in education to a robust strategy called Prepared to Thrive. We are committed to the long-term success of our community, and that starts with ensuring the success of our youngest community members.
about prepared to thrive
Developing this strategy started with exploratory conversations with local experts and leaders in early education to understand where the gaps were in our community’s ability to prepare our youngest learners for kindergarten and success in the early grades.
From these sessions, United Way developed a multi-faceted strategy that encompasses putting our leadership and resources towards expanding the following:
- Access to books
- Parent engagement
- Childcare and Teacher supports
- Summer Climb supports
Because the challenges associated with kindergarten readiness are multi-faceted, so is our strategy for tackling those challenges.
interventions
PARENT RESOURCES
EQUITY-based approach
As part of our commitment to equity in our programming, United Way will leverage data from the Early Development Instrument (EDI) to determine and prioritize which areas in our community have the greatest need for these supports.
The EDI is a tool for measuring child development and school readiness. The results are mapped via zip code, which means that we can target our supportive services geographically instead of using a "one size fits all" approach.
Learn more about the Early Development Instrument from our partner, Spartanburg Academic Movement.
donate to prepared to thrive
Invest in the long-term success of students by donating to our Prepared to Thrive initiative.