RANDYS STORY

“Supporting local kids today helps us work toward a better tomorrow.”

Laurel Highlands School District (LHSD) in Fayette County is a long-time supporter of United Way of Southwestern PA, but their partnership extends far beyond their annual workplace campaign. In the last three years, they have worked with United Way to support early literacy throughout the district.

“We completed a needs assessment and saw early literacy was something that we needed to work on. If kids aren’t reading at grade level by the third grade, research shows they will continue to go downhill without numerous interventions,” Randy Miller, director of curriculum and instruction for LHSD, said. “The help from United Way and the ability to collaborate and work with other agencies and businesses has been outstanding.”

LHSD has implemented a variety of activities and programming, including transition activities for kids moving from pre-K into kindergarten. The school district also offers opportunities for early childhood educators to collaborate and learn from one another and hosted various events where high school kids read to younger students.

With inspiration from United Way’s Book Stop program, LHSD created its own ‘mobile book nook,’ that they utilize in the summer months to host events and encourage reading even when school is not in session.

“With United Way’s support, both financially and programmatically, we have seen a huge difference in attendance at our pre-K activities – increases from 57% to 82% from year to year,” Randy explained.

On top of everything, LHSD has handed out more than 5,000 books over the last three years. “We are trying to get more books and resources into the hands of students. Every time a kid goes home with a book, there is a smile on their face, and we know that reading and learning is continuing at home,” Randy said.

Randy encourages the community to get involved with United Way’s work to support early childhood learning. “By focusing on our community’s children, we are building a brighter future. This is the goal that we all should continue to work toward,” he said.

To learn more about how you can get involved, visit http://www.unitedway4u.org/education.