Do you remember those times you heard a baby say their first word? Maybe the infants were your sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, or friends’ children. You probably smiled and coaxed them to say it again. Your encouragement made them giggle and repeat it over and over. Some first words are predictable: Mama or Dada. Other words are more surprising. In those cases, you likely wondered why that one was said.
Perhaps, these babies you know have grown into young adults. They’ve graduated from high school, certificate programs, apprenticeships or college, fully fluent with vast vocabularies, ready to tackle job applications and full-time employment. The encouragement that you gave them as they learned to talk is as valuable as the encouragement you give them as they move into their adulthood responsibilities. Just like with those first words, they picked something to try and worked hard to become good at it.
The time between these two sets of firsts matters substantially. Children spend so much of their lives playing on preschool playgrounds, learning in elementary classrooms and navigating coursework in middle and high school buildings. These years and experiences shape who they become and whether they feel prepared to succeed.
Education has been, is and will continue to be a core focus at United Way of Anchorage. We help children in our community by supporting equitable educational opportunities. Students in every part of our town and with every type of background deserve to have fair, consistent learning paths, career preparedness, extracurricular activities and out-of-school opportunities. These aspects empower them to reach their full potential.
How are we helping make this educational consistency possible? We partner with education departments and school districts child-focused nonprofits and forward-thinking workplaces. Together, our efforts take many forms, depending on the ever-changing needs in our community. Below you’ll find some examples.
Alaska Department of Education & Early Development: We’ve received a grant from the state to identify students who are experiencing homelessness. We connect them with their school district’s Homeless Education Liaison.
Anchorage School District (ASD): We’ve aided ASD as it works to improve graduation rates and enhance high schoolers’ exposure to career paths and personal success.
ASD’s Child in Transition program: We’ve provided school staff with funds to use as part of the Back on Track initiative to ensure vulnerable students have what they need to succeed. Payments range from medical, dental and vision care to food, clothes, footwear and luggage.
Program for Infants and Children: We’ve worked alongside the Anchorage Early Childhood Coalition to offer resources and connections that create “Swaddle Me” bags. New parents receive items for their babies and resources for themselves. We’ve also participated in its family-focused “Go Blue Day” events to raise awareness about child abuse prevention.
Providence Alaska and Volunteers of America Alaska: We’ve provided funds to help mental health practitioners in low-income schools fulfill needs that are preventing the students that they work with from thriving.
Raising Cane’s, 101.3 KGOT and partners of Cradle to Career Anchorage: We’ve secured and distributed thousands of books to help families build their home libraries and raise readers.
These examples highlight the breadth of our involvement. Remember, though, they’re just a sampling. We pivot, as needed, to address disparities, gaps and barriers that are impacting children’s development.
Supporting each child, no matter their family’s circumstances, should be a priority for every one of us as community members. Young people’s individuality and potential should be nurtured—for their sake and for our community’s future. We must surround them with care, equip them with education and prepare them for careers. Then, their brighter futures will bridge the serious gaps in employment and poverty rates our community currently has.
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