The Importance of Early Education
Way to Grow has been operating for over 30 years on the premise that by reaching our society’s most isolated children and families early, we will help close the achievement gap and create a better future for our community, workforce and economy. In fact, the proven correlation between early education and future benefits for society give it an extremely strong return on investment.At its core, early education:
- Helps break the cycle of poverty
- Creates stronger schools and improves the future vitality of communities
- Builds a stronger workforce and economy
Breaking the Cycle of Poverty
By reaching underserved children early, from prenatal through the critical third grade milestone, we can change the trajectory of their future financial health and independence. Studies show a strong correlation between a child’s third grade literacy scores and the chances he/she will succeed in graduating from high school and going on to college (reference: Early Warning! Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters: A KIDS COUNT Special Report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation).
Benefitting Schools and the Community
Through our proven model and strategic partnerships with other community resources, we help our society’s most isolated families find self-sufficiency and establish a more secure position within the community. As they overcome these obstacles, we help them create an atmosphere of learning for their children and encourage more involvement with the schools, creating stronger school systems.
By the third grade milestone, a child’s test scores strongly indicate if they’re on the path toward finding success in life. By reaching more children and helping them meet this important milestone, we’re able to increase the future strength of the community as these children become contributing members of society and decrease their chances of turning to crime or relying on government support.
Building a Stronger Workforce
As the children we serve go on to graduate from high school and college, we’re creating a stronger, more educated workforce within the community. This builds the local economy with adults who have financial security and an educated workforce that makes ours an attractive community for businesses.
Our 2019 Outcomes:
Service Statistics
- 1,737 parents and children served
- 8,412 home visits
- 1,066 family referrals to agencies
Early Childhood Education
- 663 early learners
- 90% of children met literacy benchmarks / prepared for school
Elementary Education
- 210 children (K–3) and 461 parents served at 33 Minneapolis Public Schools, 27 charter schools, 8 private schools, and 14 schools outside of the Minneapolis district
- 92% of elementary children demonstrated growth in reading level assessments
- 98% of parents attended one or more parent-teacher conference
- 92% of parents read to their children at least 3 times per week
Teen Parenting
- 59 parenting teens served (ages 15-21)
- 96% of parenting teens did not have a repeat pregnancy
Health Education
- 137 expectant parents served
- 96% of full-term newborns were born at a healthy birth weight
- 83% of children entering kindergarten were up-to-date on immunizations