Success By 6 is the largest network of early childhood coalitions in the country, focused on improving school readiness through community change. It is a community-based, public-private partnership of individuals and organizations, including United Way, that share a common vision in more than 350 communities or states...children ready to succeed when they enter school.

Success By 6 is rooted in the belief that a community working together toward a common goal can generate an effective plan to improve outcomes for children, such as success in school; graduation rates; work force readiness; job productivity; community engagement; and lifetime income, to name a few. According to the U.S. Dept. of Education, 46% of America's kindergarteners are coming to school at risk of failure. In Vigo County alone, 18.7% of our children, ages 0-17, are living in poverty based on statistical records from 2003. Vigo County's 2005-06 graduation rate from high school is 71.8%. All of this shows how important a Success By 6 program is for our community.

Stated goals of Success By 6 for the Wabash Valley are:

• To provide every child with the opportunity to gain basic literacy skills and enter kindgergarten ready to learn;
• To create an ongoing collaboration among childcare providers, social service agencies, educators K through 16, and parents in order to assess needs and plan activities addressing early childhood literacy;
• To create ongoing opportunities for professional development for all childcare providers and educators;
• To provide up-to-date information to the community on childhood development and local literacy programs;
• To educate and advocate on behalf of early childhood literacy with the general public and with key leaders in business, government, education and non-profits.

Members of the Success By 6 Leadership Committee are:

Nancy Brattain Rogers, Co-Chair - Indiana State University
Karen Harding, Co-Chair - Community Alliance & Services for Young Children (CASY)
Jim Bertoli - United Way of the Wabash Valley
Rick Burger - Duke Energy
Marilyn Byrd - Union Hospital Health Group
Irene Christophers - Time Warner Cable
Pete Ciancone - City of Terre Haute
Camilla Correll - Vigo County School Corp.
Bettie Davis - Foster Grandparent
Marla DeHart - Clabber Girl Corp.
Jacquie Denehie - United Cerebral Palsy
Nancy Dowell - Vigo County Public Library

June Dunbar - Vigo County Public Library
John Etling - Catholic Charities of Terre Haute
Michelle Farris - Terre Haute Regional Hospital
Gail Gottschling - Indiana State University
Mark Johnson - United Way of the Wabash Valley
Jane Mills - Altrusa/Lamar Outdoor Advertising
Alpa Patel - Vigo County School Corp. Board Member
Nancy Sailer - Western Indiana Community Action Agency
Claudia Tanoos - Terre Haute Area Economic Development Corp.
Beth Tevlin - Wabash Valley Community Foundation
Jeremiah Turner- Tribune Star
Michael Urban - Murphy Urban Assoc. Psychological Services
Randy Wastradowski - Terre Haute Family Y
Tonya Williams - United Child Care Center

Questions regarding the Success By 6 program in the Wabash Valley should be referred to: Mark Johnson, Success By 6 Director, United Way of the Wabash Valley at 812.235.6287 or by e-mail at mark.johnson@unitedway.org

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