Translate
We close opportunity gaps to ensure children read at grade level by 3rd grade and youth are prepared for educational success and employment.
Reading is the foundation of success, but many Arizona students are falling behind. Right now, 57% of 3rd-graders in our state are not proficient in reading. Valley of the Sun United Way is partnering with Read Better Be Better to help students start a new chapter. Read Better Be Better is a peer-to-peer after school program. Readers are paired with middle school leaders for 10 weeks. The reader improves their literacy skills while their leader improves their leadership skills.
A high school diploma and post-secondary education are the gateway to better paying jobs. Nearly 7 of 10 jobs in Arizona require training beyond high school. Student success starts with quality early education that builds skills, especially reading proficiency. If students are not proficient readers when they begin fourth grade, as much as half of the curriculum will be incomprehensible, and they are four times more likely to drop out of high school. Yet, in Arizona, only 35% of third graders read proficiently.
At the other end of the education spectrum, 1 in 4 local 16-24 year olds are not enrolled in school or employed, a number which has spiked dramatically during the pandemic to nearly 145,000 Opportunity Youth. Every student who does not complete high school costs an estimated $260,000 in lost earnings, taxes and productivity. Conversely, re-engaging one Opportunity Youth will return $65,230 in taxpayer savings and enable the student to contribute $105,500 in tax revenue, reduce crime expenditure by $13,700 and reduce government benefits by $9,660.
We support more than 50 programs and services provided by school, nonprofit and community partners who focus on building and strengthening literacy, increasing online learning and providing supportive services for families and teachers. The below Coalition members focus on our Mighty education goals and develop strategies to create impact. When informed by the Coalition and their Action Teams, we change course as needed to stay focused on the right programs and solutions to reach our bold goals for Maricopa County.
Are you an education partner? Do you have a job you're seeking candidates for? Submit your job using this form.
Looking for a job with one of our education partners? View job postings here.
7th Dream Helping Hearts*
A New Leaf*
A New Leaf’s Phoenix Day Janis Merrill Education Center
Advocacy 31nine*
Afri-soul*
Alhambra Elementary School District #68
American Family Insurance
Arizona Association for the Education of Young Children*
Arizona Board of Regents
Arizona Community Foundation
Arizona Department of Education 21st Century Community Learning Centers
Arizona Helping Hands
Arizona Kids THINK Too*
Arizona Latino Leaders In Education (ALL In Education)
Arizona Pipeline Construction Company
Arizona State University
Arizona's Children Association
Atabey Outdoors*
Autism Life and Living*
Avondale Elementary District 44 Offices
AZ Community Impact
AZCEND*
Backpacks 4 Kids AZ*
Banner Olive Branch Senior Center*
Be a Leader Foundation*
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona*
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale*
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley*
Boys Hope Girls Hope of Arizona*
Boys to Men of Greater Phoenix*
Buckeye Elementary School District
Camp Catanese Foundation*
Candelen*
Cartwright Elementary School District #83
Catholic Charities Community Services*
Central Arizona Shelter Services
Chicanos Por La Causa*
Child Crisis Arizona*
City of Goodyear
City of Phoenix
City of Tempe
College Bound AZ
Department of Education
Dorn Agency
Dysart Community Center*
Educare Arizona
Education Forward Arizona
Elevate Phoenix*
First Things First
Foster Your Future*
Foundation for Blind Children
Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona*
Friendly House*
Friends of the Avondale Libraries
Future For Kids
Future Stars
Gateway to Freedom*
Gervonni Cares*
Gilbert Chamber of Commerce Foundation*
Girl Scouts Arizona Cactus Pine Council
Glendale Elementary School District #40
Harmony Project Phoenix*
Helios Education Foundation
Helping Children Succeed in School Foundation*
Homeless Youth Connection*
Homeward Bound*
ICAN*
Jobs for Arizona’s Graduates*
JPMorgan Chase
Junior Achievement of Arizona
Littleton Elementary School District
Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest*
Lyft
Make Way for Books*
MentorKids USA*
Neighborhood Ministries*
New Pathways for Youth*
notMYkid
Payving A Way*
Per Scholas
Raising Special Kids
Read Better Be Better*
Read On Arizona
ResilientMe
Rising Youth Theatre*
Rotary Club of Goodyear Pebble Creek
SARSEF
School Connect
Scottsdale Community College
Si Se Puede Foundation*
Solari Crisis & Human Services*
SOUNDS Academy*
Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center*
Southwest Human Development*
Stand for Children Leadership Center
Teach for America
The Center for the Future of Arizona
TNTP
TPI Composites
Treasures 4 Teachers
Union Elementary School District*
Unlimited Potential*
UPWARD for Children and Families*
Valley Leadership
Valley of The Sun YMCA Association Services (Executive Offices)
Valley of the Sun YMCA*
Vanguard
Washington Elementary School District #6
Wesley Community Center*
World Hunger Ecumenical Arizona Task-Force*
Zion Institute
Zuri’s Circle*
*Partners who have received grant funding through Valley of the Sun United Way
