COMMUNITY SCHOOL LEARNING EXCHANGE

Impacting Change Through Data. That was the topic discussed to a crowd of nearly 80 guests at the recent Briefing for United Way's board of corporators, funding and corporate partners. Jackie Bull, Assistant Principal, McKinley Elementary provided a comprehensive look at how utilizing data and the Community School Model together are working to overcome barriers and creating positive change, including significant academic growth, for students living in one of Erie’s poorest zip codes.

United Way of Erie County and Erie’s Public Schools have announced National Fuel as the community school corporate partner for Woodrow Wilson Middle School. United Way, as the backbone organization for community schools, has worked over the last several months to build a strong partnership with National Fuel and secure their long-term support as a committed corporate partner for Wilson. 

Big changes for the students and families of Edison Elementary, a United Way of Erie County community school, are soon to come as Erie's Public Schools prepares to construct a new Edison school building. 

United Way of Erie County has announced that Bobbi Pollock is the 2023 Tocqueville Award recipient. The award will be presented to her during United Way’s Leadership Recognition Reception sponsored by Northwest Bank and the William M. and Frances Schuster Fund at The Erie Community Foundation on Wednesday, October 4 at the Erie Art Museum.

At United Way, we know it’s important for supporters and community leaders to see our work in action to understand the full scope of the Community School Model. That’s why we offer community school impact tours.

United Way's annual campaign for 2023 gets underway this fall. Thank you to all those who are and will continue to be advocates for donating to United Way through the workplace!

Students across Erie County started the new school year with cheers and words of encouragement from teachers, principals, community school directors, corporate and funding partners, Women United members and other volunteers during Red Carpet welcome back events held at community schools.

Welcome United Way of Erie County New Members of the Board of Directors!

When Wegmans wants to raise funds for United Way of Erie County, their goal is to create meaningful change in our community by supporting our mission…and to have fun while doing it! 

Thanks to the generosity of United Way of Erie County’s corporate and funding partners, together, we are making a transformational impact in the lives of students and their families throughout Erie County. Throughout the year we are featuring corporate partners in the Weekly InBrief because we know the business community understands when children fall behind in school the consequences create a ripple effect.   

Women United for Community Schools recently hosted an educational discussion for current members and guests with the intention of recruiting more women to join this growing affinity group of United Way.

Can you help United Way provide NEW school supplies for children at United Way community schools? 

With the cost of living and inflation at an all-time high, many families with students at community schools, may not be able to afford new school supplies, whether it be book bags, ear buds, Expo markers, glue sticks, jumbo crayons, kids scissors, pencil pouches or water bottles.

Officials from The Erie Community Foundation announced today a $2M Susan Hirt Hagen Center for Transformational Philanthropy grant to United Way of Erie County for the establishment of the Community School Model at Erie High School in Erie’s Public Schools.

Happy July! And, Happy 10th Anniversary to United Way's Imagination Library for Erie County which was launched in July 2013. To celebrate this significant milestone as a valued supporter of our mission to promote literacy and empower children, we invite you to join us in commemorating this remarkable achievement.

Views Festival, a collaborative effort between Erie Arts and Culture, United Way of Erie County and many other partners, supporters, community members and allies wrapped up last week, resulting in the placement of more than 20 new murals along United Way Safer Walking Routes to School in the City of Erie. In early June, both local and visiting artists came together to continue the work that began during last year's Purposeful Placemaking Project where 13 murals were introduced to the Erie community by the end of 2022.

A United Way of Erie County Community School Delegation recently participated in The Institute for Educational Leadership’s 2023 National Community Schools and Family Engagement Conference, held June 7-9 in downtown Philadelphia. 

Thanks to the generosity of United Way’s corporate and funding partners, together, we are making a transformational impact in the lives of students and their families throughout Erie County. Throughout the year we will be featuring corporate partners in the Weekly InBrief because we know the business community understands when children fall behind in school the consequences create a ripple effect. Students who fall behind are graduating without the skills necessary to support workforce needs if they graduate at all. This results in an increased burden on taxpayers and our social service system, increased involvement in the juvenile justice system and increased trauma and delinquency to name just a few. 

Students cannot learn if they are not in school. That's why United Way is committed to ensuring students arrive to school on time and ready to learn each and every day.

The end of the school year is almost here! We hope these examples of United Way's funding, or what we call #CommunitySchoolsInAction, warm your heart and show you impact of your support on students and their families during the last few weeks of school.

So far, 66 children at three United Way community schools have received new glasses thanks to Vision To Learn in 2023: 18 at Edison Elementary, 24 at Harding Elementary and 24 at Pfeiffer-Burleigh Elementary.