United Way Community Schools

Nearly one in three children in high-need schools are not ready for kindergarten, and two in three third graders aren’t reading on grade level.

When schools have the resources they need and can offer them in a coordinated manner, kids’ academics and social-emotional wellbeing will thrive. United Way Community Schools support student success in the region’s highest need schools by removing barriers to education, so students, families and communities can thrive. Each school is staffed by a full-time Community School Coordinator who addresses basic needs, promotes family engagement, builds partnerships and coordinates services.  

As a hub of its neighborhood, Community Schools focus on students’ basic needs and build trusting relationships with children and their families by offering a range of services that include: 

• basic needs support such as food, clothing, toiletries and school supplies 
• connections to critical resources such as healthcare and housing 
• on-site physical, mental and behavioral health services 
• academic engagement experiences such as field trips and after-school programming 
• parent engagement workshops and activities