Amanda Burt: Ready to learn?

— Last Thursday’s Literacy Celebration at the Mack Gaston Community Center is a testimony to the generous people we have in our community.

Nearly 100 community members visited the United Way Volunteer Center website, volunteerNWGA.org, and connected with the opportunity to volunteer at the literacy event. Because of these volunteers, more than 600 children participated in reading circles, made their own book mark, received free books and even visited the mobile library.

More than 15 community organizations, governments, schools and nonprofits joined together to kick off the Readers to Leaders initiative. As part of this initiative, United Way is recruiting 100 new readers, tutors and mentors to impact local education. You can volunteer by calling (706) CAN-HELP or by visiting www.ourunitedway.org/100-readers-tutors-mentors.

As summer comes to an end, we are reminded how much preparation is necessary to get kids ready for a new school year. Backpacks, shoes and pencils are all tangible items that prepare a child to learn and to achieve greatness through education. We must also remember the importance of preparing our children cognitively, socially and emotionally in order for them to succeed in school. United Way contributions provide summer enrichment programs through Boys and Girls Clubs, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, the Family Support Council, Friendship House, Whitfield County-Dalton Day Care Center and 4-H Murray.

Unfortunately, some children are already at a disadvantage before they even enter the classroom. A 2009 study on the Disparities in Early Learning and Development show that by age 5, children of middle-class parents on average recognize 22 letters of the alphabet, whereas low-income children can only identify nine. At United Way, we recognize the importance of providing quality educational programs to children of all backgrounds. United Way focuses on creating brighter futures even before children set foot in school.

Arianna, a second-grader at a local elementary school, is a shining star in the classroom thanks to help from the Family Support Council, a United Way partner agency. From the time Arianna was two years old, Ms. Carol from Family Support Council started visiting Arianna and her grandmother, Barbara, Arianna’s primary caregiver. Ms. Carol helped Arianna through her formative years. When Arianna had difficulties learning her colors, Ms. Carol suggested that Barbara start pointing out the colors of food that Arianna liked best. Using ice cream as a teaching tool, Arianna learned to associate “pink” with strawberry and “brown” with chocolate. When Arianna began kindergarten, her teacher was impressed by Arianna’s school readiness skills.

Youth are better prepared to be the leaders of tomorrow when our community offers additional educational opportunities for children, support for parents and services for families in need. United Way supports educational programs that prepare children for school readiness. Your United Way investment of $1,000 provides two children with kindergarten readiness through a high quality preschool.

School readiness also means providing children with the proper tools for success. At the beginning of each school year, students are given a long list of supplies necessary to start learning in the classroom. Many families cannot afford the additional costs in August, but these children cannot be left behind.

For this reason, United Way is partnering with Market Street Shops and Northwest Georgia Radio Group for the Stuff the Bus School Supply Drive. If you would like to support children in your community for the upcoming school year, please join us by dropping off school supplies Aug. 6-10 at the Market Street Shops office, 1001 Market St. in Dalton. The Stuff the Bus School Supply Drive will culminate with a block party at Market Street Shops on Aug. 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you would like to invest in United Way’s work in education, please visit ourunitedway.org/education.

Supplies needed include:

Backpacks

No. 2 pencils

Black or blue ink pens

Colored pencils

Notebook paper

Spiral bound subject books

Glue sticks

Kleenex

Pencil holders

Crayons

Expo dry erase markers

Scissors

Rulers

Copy paper (white and color)

Paper towels

Pencil sharpeners

Erasers

Pocket folders

Zip Lock bags (gallon size)

Clorox table wipes

USB drive

Amanda Burt is the president of the United Way of Northwest Georgia.

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