Ready to Learn, Ready to Earn

United Way of Central Indiana's Ready to Learn, Ready to Earn priority
encompasses strategies that:

• Help young children get ready for school.
• Help school-age children and youth succeed in the classroom.
• Help all students graduate from high school and move on to
  postsecondary education and training or work.
• Help to reduce tomorrow's needs.

United Way of Central Indiana has programs, tools and initiatives that focus on early childhood and adolescent development. The time and effort we invest today creates better outcomes for the future. United Way is reducing tomorrow’s community needs by helping kids be ready to learn in school and ready to earn after graduation.

Please click here to learn more about specific Ready to Learn, Ready to Earn programs, including ReadUP and Early Readers Club.

Other programs that strengthen the community

United Way of Central Indiana has community-focused tools, initiatives and programs ranging from community assessment, to youth leadership, to nonprofit board training and nonprofit management. These resources allow us to assess and improve conditions, and enhance community involvement throughout the region.

• Community Assessment – United Way of Central Indiana regularly assesses health and human service needs, and our community's capacity to meet those needs.
• Connected By 25 – Helps ensure that that foster care youth are educated, housed, financially stable, employed and connected to a support system by age 25.
• Leadership United – Through workshops, board internships, and professional and social networking, United Way trains future leaders to serve on nonprofit boards and provide leadership in the community. We can also design special programs for employee groups.
• Nonprofit Training Center – Nonprofit managers, boards and staff (including your employees) are offered courses in a variety of subjects including fundraising, marketing, project management, supervision, budgeting, use of technology, volunteer management and more.
• SAVI Database (Social Assets and Vulnerabilities Indicators) – A dynamic community information system that maps, compares and stores data, from more than 40 sources, about Central Indiana communities. To learn more, please contact Bob Cross at bob.cross@uwci.org or 317.921.1294.
• Youth as Resources – Promotes youth volunteerism. Youth groups can receive funds for community service projects that are designed and run by youth in United Way of Central Indiana’s six counties. Each county has a volunteer board made up of youth and adults who make distribution decisions.
• Youth Leadership Initiative – Expands opportunities for young people to participate as community planners and decision makers within youth-serving and other nonprofit organizations.
• United Christmas Service – Helps those most in need during the holiday season by providing financial assistance to qualified families.
• Winter Assistance Fund – Helps those who are not eligible for government energy assistance programs, but who are still unable to pay their heating bills during the winter months.
• The Volunteer Center – The essential resource for local volunteer opportunities.