Education

Student and teacher in classroom sitting down going over school work. They are both looking at each other smiling. The student is around 5 or 6 years old.

 

We believe that every child should have equitable access to high-quality education. 

Education is one of the building blocks of a good life and begins at birth with parents. It goes hand in hand with our other community impact focus areas of financial stability and health. 

Education typically leads to better jobs, higher pay and many other benefits, including better health insurance, which leads to better access to quality health care. Higher earnings also allow workers to afford homes in safer neighborhoods as well as healthier diets.

A parent is teaching his daughter how to count. He is holding up four fingers and smiling, She is watching him smiling. There are flashcards on the table with words and letters, and papers with math problems

Our goals and work 

  • Identify innovative programs and resources

  • Create connections to resources and programs

  • Convene stakeholders

  • Identify grant-making opportunities

  • Provide technical support

Our partners

  • New parents/families

  • Early childhood centers

  • Community groups

  • Institutional partners (schools, hospitals, etc...)

  • Businesses

  • Government

  • Practitioners

  • Other nonprofits

  • Volunteers

 

Every child has equal value and equal promise. Together, we can accomplish positive changes in education for every child in the Tri-County area.

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Current Initiatives

Tri-County Read United 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten

Tri-county read united logo

Trident United Way, Berkeley County Library System, Charleston County Public Library and Dorchester County Library are partnering to promote reading to ages birth to five and improve regional literacy gaps.

 

 

 

Completed Initiatives

Kindergarten Readiness

baby playing with large lego blocks

As the convener for our region’s first Kindergarten Readiness Network, and in partnership with the Tri-County Cradle to Career Collaborative (TCCC), Trident United Way (TUW) is positioned to provide the expertise and infrastructure necessary to support hundreds of early learning organizations, providers, businesses, local governments, community volunteers and others to collect data for an ambitious common agenda, develop shared goals and milestones and identify and operationalize promising solutions. This move aims to improve academic and developmental outcomes for children from birth through age 5 by creating a cohesive and strategic plan in coordination with community, local and state stakeholders.

Literacy United

young student writing in notebook

Literacy United is a partnership initiative with stakeholders, community leaders, Trident United Way (TUW), and Charleston County School District (CCSD) to provide early reading intervention training to an elementary school on Johns Island, using proven methodology and evaluation implemented by Trident United Way and the University of Florida Lastinger Center. It’s a way to help our students catch up to their peers and ensure they’re able to read at grade level by third grade - a critical point in a child’s education.

 

Reading by Third

student holding open book peering through row of books at library

RB3 was focused on teacher professional development in the practice of teaching literacy to young children from the Lastinger Initiative at the University of Florida. During the summer of 2017, a pilot group of local teachers, who work with PK4-2nd grade students, participated in the initial training so that they could begin with this new paradigm as the school year began.

Interested in learning more? Contact Allison Hilton at ahilton@tuw.org or (843) 740-9000.