The Women’s Leadership Council of Northern Santa Barbara County United Way

The Women’s Leadership Council is making a commitment to respond to the long term needs of our community to create lasting, measurable change for our children, families, our community and economy.  Our focus will be on children’s initiatives that pave the way to secure a successful future through education.

The United Way is focused on research based strategies to make sure our children are:

• Ready for school, starting with the social, emotional and cognitive skills they need to succeed - TheImaginationLibrary.com

• Reading on track by 4th grade;

• Transitioning successfully to middle school;

• Graduating high school on time;

• Working or in school by 21.

Our hope is that you will make a $500 annual contribution to making a difference in the lives of children.  With a sustaining membership commitment of $1,000 per year, you will be identified on all of the fund’s materials as founding members... All donations are tax-deductible.

The benefits of our programs are too numerous to list:   Consider these facts and know that you can make a difference- 

• 45% of the children in many of our school systems are not prepared when they get to kindergarten.
• In most of our elementary schools, more than 70% of children are not reading at grade level when they enter the 4th grade.
• It has been reported that our high school dropout rate has exceeded 30% in many of our local high schools.
• Three quarters of our states inmates did not complete high school.
• 30,000 families in Santa Barbara County live on an annual income of $25,000 or less.
• The less education that a person has, the more likely they are to be unemployed.
• Less educated mothers are more like likely to have low birth weight babies, which is associated with developmental delays and infant death.
• A one year increase in the average level of schooling in a community is associated with a 30% decrease in a community’s murder rate.
• According to the National Institute of Health, obesity has increased among all Americans, but the more educated are less likely to be overweight or obese.

85% of a child’s brain development happens in the first five years of life. This is why promoting literacy is so important. This is the first step to a stable future.

Researchers and educators have determined that the ability to read is a critical factor in a child’s success in school and beyond.  Open a book and open a door to a child’s future.

 Feel free to call with any questions Donna Polizzi 895-1060    Eddie Taylor 922-0329 x107

    One More Child Prepared for Kindergarten  |  One More High School Graduate Succeeding in Life

 Education is the cornerstone of individual and community success. It’s essential to getting and keeping a job with a livable wage and health benefits.  A good Education is fundamental to a community’s economic prosperity.