Strive Mid-South and the Seeding Success Partnership are still very young programs, but their potential for a big impact on Mid-South education is already getting our community’s attention.
“It means 1,000 to 1,500 Memphis schoolchildren will have a quality reading program focused on skills their test scores show they missed.”
“Over time, the concentration — at no cost to taxpayers — is expected to whittle down the more than 60 percent of children here who are behind in reading when they start third grade.”
The quotes above about Strive Mid-South and the Seeding Success Partnership are from a story in the Thursday, April 17 edition of The Commercial Appeal written by reporter Jane Roberts.
The program and partnership, which are important parts of United Way’s focus on education priorities using a collective impact model, were brought to our community thanks in large part to United Way’s community engagement and alignment work and the efforts of additional community leaders and groups, including the University of Memphis.
Strive Mid-South and Seeding Success director Mark Sturgis is working with United Way and other local partners to identify key data points and measures to help move our community to an even stronger collaboration for better outcomes on reading and math success.
Sturgis’ involvement with United Way’s education efforts made him an ideal person to present United Way’s education priorities at our Campaign Celebration and Annual Meeting last month at The Peabody. The priorities are the result of meetings with community groups, nonprofits, government leaders and private citizens across the Mid-South that took place as part of our ongoing Strategic Plan reinvention process.
If you are interested in making a difference in the success of third graders reading at the proper grade level (which is a strong indicator of later school success and even high school graduation), you may be able to serve as a Team Read coach. To learn more about this innovative tutoring program, contact Letitia Robertson at 901.433.4314 or e-mail letitia.robertson@uwmidsouth.org today.