A Message from our President & CEO
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Thank you for taking the pledge to be a volunteer reader, tutor or mentor. It is clear that you agree that our community's children are its most precious resource, for they are the future. This e-newsletter is just for you. Please send us your suggestions and volunteer stories for inclusion in upcoming issues or on our website.
By joining us on this journey, you are ensuring that San Diego's children receive a good education, which will also ensure the continued health of our county. We know it will be a long journey, but we have set bold goals because our children deserve no less. We also know that if we stand together as a community, nothing is beyond our reach. Even the smallest act can serve as a catalyst to help guide a child down the path to a better life.
Doug Sawyer
President & CEO
United Way of San Diego County
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| "Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen,
and a push in the right direction."
John Crosby
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Meet Our Partners
| We are proud to announce the following organizations as our first partners in the Volunteer Challenge for education. Contact us to sign up for any of these opportunities!
Rolling Readers aims to create passionate readers with critical thinking skills by providing elementary school classrooms in low-income areas with volunteer readers who share a classic story and a warm smile once a week.
San Diego County Office of Education, Foster Youth and Homeless Education Services Program serves over 4,000 foster youth and 13,000 homeless youth in San Diego through volunteer tutors, mentors, and career coaches who help ensure them a better future.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County provides children ages 7-18 with volunteer mentors who serve as crucial friends and role models to help them succeed. They run a number of programs ranging from the traditional one-to-one Community Mentoring program to Operation Bigs, a new program that serves children with active-duty military parents who might be deployed.
Chula Vista Serves is committed to improving high school graduation rates in Chula Vista thanks to the services of volunteer graduation coaches, community mentors and classroom volunteers.
We will feature other United Way partners as well as volunteers in upcoming issues of this newsletter.
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Food for Thought
| When one looks at some of the facts surrounding our children's education, some startling trends emerge. This is why we must all join together and pledge to each do what we can to ensure that San Diego's children get the extra help they need outside of school prepare them for future success.
· Nearly half (47%) of the 36,914 fourth graders in San Diego County are considered economically disadvantaged. The difficult financial circumstances of many families make community support for all children that much more important.
· In 2010, 40% of our county's eighth grade students were not proficient in English.
· Every dollar spent on preschool generates more than a $7 savings by reducing the amount of government spending on welfare, criminal justice, and education.
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Help Spread the Word
| In addition to the impact you can make as a volunteer for education, your voice in the community is invaluable to increasing awareness of the 10K Volunteer Challenge. Here are some of the ways you can help unite our community under the goal of preparing our children for the future:
· Post a video or comment stating your personal pledge to become a volunteer for education, words of support, or your experiences as a volunteer on ourFacebook page. We also love to see pictures of your participation in volunteer projects!
· Talk to your friends, family, and coworkers about the Volunteer Challenge and encourage them to sign up at uwsd.org by clicking on the "Volunteer" banner. You can even pass this email along to interested friends.
· Tweet about your experiences, follow us onTwitter and tag your posts with #liveunitedsd.
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UPLIFT - Kids at Heart
Join the Kids at Heart (KAH) team as a volunteer tutor and help brighten a child's future. For one hour each week, tutors work one-on-one with students to improve reading skills, complete homework assignments, and play educational games. Most of the KAH students are in elementary school and live in San Diego's inner-city communities.
SAY San Diego
Work with elementary, middle or high school students as an after-school mentor or tutor for one to four hours per week (four-month commitment required).
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