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We close opportunity gaps to ensure children read at grade level by 3rd grade and youth are prepared for educational success and employment.
Reading is the foundation of success, but many Arizona students are falling behind. Right now, 65% of 3rd-graders in our state are not proficient in reading. Valley of the Sun United Way is partnering with Read Better Be Better to help students start a new chapter. Read Better Be Better is a peer-to-peer after school program. Readers are paired with middle school leaders for 10 weeks. The reader improves their literacy skills while their leader improves their leadership skills.
A high school diploma and post-secondary education are the gateway to better paying jobs. Nearly 7 of 10 jobs in Arizona require training beyond high school. Student success starts with quality early education that builds skills, especially reading proficiency. If students are not proficient readers when they begin fourth grade, as much as half of the curriculum will be incomprehensible, and they are four times more likely to drop out of high school. Yet, in Arizona, only 35% of third graders read proficiently.
At the other end of the education spectrum, 1 in 4 local 16-24 year olds are not enrolled in school or employed, a number which has spiked dramatically during the pandemic to nearly 145,000 Opportunity Youth. Every student who does not complete high school costs an estimated $260,000 in lost earnings, taxes and productivity. Conversely, re-engaging one Opportunity Youth will return $65,230 in taxpayer savings and enable the student to contribute $105,500 in tax revenue, reduce crime expenditure by $13,700 and reduce government benefits by $9,660.
We support more than 50 programs and services provided by school, nonprofit and community partners who focus on building and strengthening literacy, increasing online learning and providing supportive services for families and teachers. The below Coalition members focus on our Mighty education goals and develop strategies to create impact. When informed by the Coalition and their Action Teams, we change course as needed to stay focused on the right programs and solutions to reach our bold goals for Maricopa County.
Are you an education partner? Do you have a job you're seeking candidates for? Submit your job using this form.
Looking for a job with one of our education partners? View job postings here.
A New Leaf*
Advocacy31nine*
Agua Fria Unified High School District
Alhambra Elementary School District
Aliento AZ
ALL in Education
Arizona Association for the Education of Young Children*
Arizona Center for Economic Progress
Arizona Community Foundation
Arizona Department of Education
Arizona Head Start
Arizona Helping Hands
Arizona Kids Think Too
Arizona PBS - Arizona State University
Avondale Elementary School District
AZ Community Impact
AZ Head Start Association
AZCEND*
Be A Leader Foundation*
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona*
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale*
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley*
Boys Hope Girls Hope of Arizona*
Boys to Men of Greater Phoenix*
Buckeye Elementary School District
Camp Catanese Foundation*
Candelen*
Cartwright Elementary School District
Catholic Charities*
Center for the Future of Arizona
Chicanos Por La Causa*
Child Crisis Arizona*
City of Chandler
City of Phoenix
City of Tempe
Dysart Community Center
Education Forward Arizona
Elevate Phoenix*
First Things First
Free Arts*
Friendly House*
Future for Kids
Greater Phoenix Urban League
Harmony Project Phoenix*
Helios
Homeless Youth Connect Inc.
Homeless Youth Connection*
Homeward Bound*
ICAN*
Jobs for Arizona's Graduates*
Joy for Books
Junior Achievement of Arizona
Littleton Elementary School District
Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest*
Lyft
Make Way for Books*
MentorKids USA*
Million Dollar Teacher Project
Neighborhood Ministries*
New Pathways for Youth*
notMYkid
Opportunity for Youth
Our Sister Our Brother*
Read Better Be Better*
Read On Arizona
Rising Youth Theatre*
School Connect
Scottsdale Community College
Si Se Puede Foundation*
Skye's the Limit Foundation*
Solari*
SOUNDS Academy*
Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center*
Southwest Human Development*
Stand for Children Arizona (SFC-AZ)
Teach for America
Tolleson Elementary School District
Treasures 4 Teachers
Union Elementary School District*
United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona
Unlimited Potential*
UPWARD for Children and Families*
Valley Leadership
Valley of the Sun Early Childhood Association*
Valley of the Sun YMCA*
Washington Elementary School District
Wesley Community & Health Centers*
World Hunger Ecumenical Arizona Task Force*
*Partners who have received grant funding through Valley of the Sun United Way
