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United Way program helps children get Ready for School, Ready to Succeed

When Nikki Hoover of Shiremanstown called her school district to ask for guidance in getting her daughter, Savannah, ready for kindergarten, she learned about United Way’s Ready for School, Ready to Succeed program.

The initiative helps prepare young children both socially and academically for school. Eight education liaisons working at 15 elementary schools in central Pennsylvania plan the curriculum and oversee the gatherings.

“I can’t say enough good things about this program and how much it’s helped prepare my daughter for school,” Hoover said. “It’s helped me, too, by teaching me ways I can work with her at home, such as doing crafts and using scissors to help develop her fine motor skills.”

Ways to Give

  • Hershey Medical Center, Shared Services and Medical Group employees: Click on this link: United to Give pledge site.
  • College of Medicine employees: Download the College of Medicine United Way pledge form from Box (Penn State access ID login required). Fill it out, save and email it to UnitedWayPayroll@psu.edu.
  • St. Joseph employees: Visit uwberks.org/PSH and log in with “2972” as both the user name and password. The St. Joseph campaign supports United Way of Berks County. It launched on Sept. 16 and runs through Oct. 31 with an employee giving goal of $20,000.

Prepped for success

“When Savannah started, she was a little reserved,” said Tiffany Leidy, the education liaison who runs the program at the Kindergarten Academy in Mechanicsburg, which Savannah attends. “Over time, I’ve seen her confidence grow. I’ve seen this transformation over and over not only in the children but also in their families.”

Ready for School, Ready to Succeed sessions are literacy-focused and include field trips and other special activities. In September, Whitaker On Wheels presented “Dino Dig” at the Kindergarten Academy. The students learned how paleontologists find, collect, transport and assemble dinosaur bones through hands-on activities and creative projects.

By the end of the year, the program will expand to 11 liaisons serving approximately 18 elementary schools in 10 school districts. Funding from the United Way will help make that happen.

Here’s the difference your contribution can make:

  • $1 per week ($52) provides books to 25 children.
  • $2 per week ($104) provides backpacks for 20 children to prepare them for school.
  • $3 per week ($156) provides craft kits to help 78 children with fine motor skills.
  • $4 per week ($208) provide tool kits and supplies for 14 children to continue learning from home.
  • $5 per week ($260) provides literacy kits with books and crafts to 43 children to prepare them academically for kindergarten.

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