Education
Our Goal
Our Education goal is to bring together individuals and organizations to connect families to resources so that all children in Lancaster County can be successful. We align our efforts to ensure that students of all ages can acquire the skills needed for success in work and life.
Our Challenge
• 1 in 5 third graders in Lancaster County is not proficient in reading;
• 82% of Lancaster County adults graduated high school compared to 87% statewide;
• 53% of students entering community colleges, and 22% entering 4-year colleges require remediation before taking college-level courses.
We're Taking Action By...
We Hear You
"Families need to understand the importance of education so they provide that support to their children. Some families may feel it is more important for the students to just get a job." - High School Student
"In general, this community understands and supports a good education system. There is a great opportunity because people here are believers and vested in this community so you have potential for a lot of support and help." - Community Member
Those are just two of the hundreds of comments and ideas from the more than 30 Community Conversations we've held across the county about education. This is an integral part of United Way’s Campaign for the Common Good. By listening to the community, we better understand the hopes and dreams for our community and our children. We are hearing one common theme: To move the needle on education, we need to create opportunities for students to acquire the skills needed to be successful.
To reach our goal, we need your help. The strategies proven to work are those that connect communities to their schools: parent involvement; literacy volunteers in the classroom; mentors for disadvantaged students; business leaders engaged in early childhood advocacy. Volunteer to help.