United Way Regina and SCEP CENTRE
SCEP CENTRE's Strategic Alignment with United Way Regina - Fall 2018
SCEP CENTRE is one of a number of agencies providing important services to young children and their families through significant support from United Way Regina. Research indicates that many of Regina’s children are not ready for school when they enter Kindergarten and that this has an impact on their later success in school and their whole lives. United Way Regina aims to change this reality by making community investments designed to help Regina’s children achieve success as they enter school and beyond.
United Way Regina has been working towards this goal for several years and introduced Ron Fairchild as guest speaker at several high profile events. In his Campaign for Grade Level Reading, Fairchild highlights the importance of Third Grade Reading level as an indicator of high school graduation rates. United Way now aims to join the Grade Level Reading Communities Network and will have Dr. Nora Findlay to their 2018 annual meeting to outline the next steps in Regina’s bid to join this Network. This initiative is working to address factors that influence grade-level reading ability, including school readiness, school attendance and summer learning.
SCEP CENTRE enrolls children and their families during the school year. In the spring SCEP staff members prepare several of the children in our program for their entry into school programs in the fall. This past spring we took many of the enrolled children on supervised visits to pre-K and Kindergarten in their home schools. These activities provided an opportunity for the children to learn about these new environments and gradually adjust to the changes that were coming. SCEP staff members planned and worked together with the receiving teachers and provided guidance and reassurance to the children during these important transitional experiences.
Without United Way support SCEP CENTRE would be unable to provide these important community services. SCEP’s Outcomes demonstrate that the children enrolled make remarkable progress over the period of their enrolment, showing gains in communication and in their ability to relate to and get along with others. Families most often report positive changes at home; child care and teaching staff find the children easier to manage in their respective settings. Such changes also mean that the children have a greater chance of being successful in school and staff work hard to plan for this transition.
United Way Regina and SCEP CENTRE share a strategic vision of providing help and support in the early years in order to affect positive change that lasts a lifetime. The United Way’s historical role as a funder of important community services is well understood. Less known is the key role United Way plays in identifying community needs and working to strengthen the community through strategic planning. United Way identified three overarching themes which guide their support and investments:
ALL THAT KIDS CAN BE
STRONG COMMUNITIES
POVERTY TO POSSIBILITY
Over the next five years United Way has chosen to focus on supporting young children and improving their readiness for school, their reading level and school success. SCEP CENTRE is proud to be a strategic partner in providing important preschool experiences, including strengthening school readiness skills and offering important summer programming to the young children enrolled at SCEP CENTRE.
The United Way offers a broad range of support to SCEP CENTRE and other strategic partners in ways other than financial. The Day of Caring, involving businesses or groups in the community volunteering time to help an agency in practical ways, has been of great help to SCEP in major cleaning, organizing and painting projects. The Peer Learning Circle is an opportunity for Executive Directors to meet and share strategies for their work. In the past United Way offered important training to Funded Partners in understanding, measuring and reporting on the impacts of their work, the Outcomes.
United Way also offered Leadership Development Training and training in other areas relevant to community based human service organizations. The United Way has also promoted and sometimes coordinated sessions facilitating communication and understanding among various programs in the community. The Speakers’ Bureau, which was a part of the United Way campaign for a number of years, was an excellent opportunity for a representative of SCEP CENTRE to describe our program to various businesses. The United Way has also taken a leadership role in many literacy initiatives, supplying books and other literacy materials as part of their commitment to enhancing literacy skills and school readiness in young children.
United Way Regina initiates and supports a broad range of activities which have the collective impact of improving the lives of individuals young and old and strengthening our community. United Way’s vision of a more compassionate and caring community is one which can be shared by all and deserves our support.
United Way Regina has been working towards this goal for several years and introduced Ron Fairchild as guest speaker at several high profile events. In his Campaign for Grade Level Reading, Fairchild highlights the importance of Third Grade Reading level as an indicator of high school graduation rates. United Way now aims to join the Grade Level Reading Communities Network and will have Dr. Nora Findlay to their 2018 annual meeting to outline the next steps in Regina’s bid to join this Network. This initiative is working to address factors that influence grade-level reading ability, including school readiness, school attendance and summer learning.
SCEP CENTRE enrolls children and their families during the school year. In the spring SCEP staff members prepare several of the children in our program for their entry into school programs in the fall. This past spring we took many of the enrolled children on supervised visits to pre-K and Kindergarten in their home schools. These activities provided an opportunity for the children to learn about these new environments and gradually adjust to the changes that were coming. SCEP staff members planned and worked together with the receiving teachers and provided guidance and reassurance to the children during these important transitional experiences.
Without United Way support SCEP CENTRE would be unable to provide these important community services. SCEP’s Outcomes demonstrate that the children enrolled make remarkable progress over the period of their enrolment, showing gains in communication and in their ability to relate to and get along with others. Families most often report positive changes at home; child care and teaching staff find the children easier to manage in their respective settings. Such changes also mean that the children have a greater chance of being successful in school and staff work hard to plan for this transition.
United Way Regina and SCEP CENTRE share a strategic vision of providing help and support in the early years in order to affect positive change that lasts a lifetime. The United Way’s historical role as a funder of important community services is well understood. Less known is the key role United Way plays in identifying community needs and working to strengthen the community through strategic planning. United Way identified three overarching themes which guide their support and investments:
ALL THAT KIDS CAN BE
STRONG COMMUNITIES
POVERTY TO POSSIBILITY
Over the next five years United Way has chosen to focus on supporting young children and improving their readiness for school, their reading level and school success. SCEP CENTRE is proud to be a strategic partner in providing important preschool experiences, including strengthening school readiness skills and offering important summer programming to the young children enrolled at SCEP CENTRE.
The United Way offers a broad range of support to SCEP CENTRE and other strategic partners in ways other than financial. The Day of Caring, involving businesses or groups in the community volunteering time to help an agency in practical ways, has been of great help to SCEP in major cleaning, organizing and painting projects. The Peer Learning Circle is an opportunity for Executive Directors to meet and share strategies for their work. In the past United Way offered important training to Funded Partners in understanding, measuring and reporting on the impacts of their work, the Outcomes.
United Way also offered Leadership Development Training and training in other areas relevant to community based human service organizations. The United Way has also promoted and sometimes coordinated sessions facilitating communication and understanding among various programs in the community. The Speakers’ Bureau, which was a part of the United Way campaign for a number of years, was an excellent opportunity for a representative of SCEP CENTRE to describe our program to various businesses. The United Way has also taken a leadership role in many literacy initiatives, supplying books and other literacy materials as part of their commitment to enhancing literacy skills and school readiness in young children.
United Way Regina initiates and supports a broad range of activities which have the collective impact of improving the lives of individuals young and old and strengthening our community. United Way’s vision of a more compassionate and caring community is one which can be shared by all and deserves our support.
EVENTSOn Friday April 22 2016 SCEP CENTRE staff members hosted approximately 20 members of the Ecole Connaught Community School staff for breakfast and an informational talk on the work of United Way Regina. United Way posters were on display. SCEP staff members talked about the valuable support that SCEP CENTRE receives from United Way. The annual financial support is a cornerstone of SCEP’s yearly budget. SCEP staff also outlined the many other supports provided by United Way to SCEP, to other partner agencies and to the Regina community. |
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SCEP CENTRE staff were thrilled to be chosen by Canada Life Assurance Company for a United Way Day of Caring project this year. The project took place on October 23, 2015.
We used this opportunity to spruce up our new surroundings, having recently moved to our current location in Ecole Connaught Community School. The project included a thorough general cleaning of our playrooms and toys, assembling a new tipi and First Nations corner and putting together two art showcase bulletin boards that allow us to proudly display the work of our little budding artists. The rooms looked amazing following the transformation and it was so exciting to see the reaction of the children and families to the "new and improved" rooms!!!
We greatly appreciate the help we have received this year from the United Way Day of Caring!!! Many sincere thanks to Canada Life and their handy and devoted workers!
We used this opportunity to spruce up our new surroundings, having recently moved to our current location in Ecole Connaught Community School. The project included a thorough general cleaning of our playrooms and toys, assembling a new tipi and First Nations corner and putting together two art showcase bulletin boards that allow us to proudly display the work of our little budding artists. The rooms looked amazing following the transformation and it was so exciting to see the reaction of the children and families to the "new and improved" rooms!!!
We greatly appreciate the help we have received this year from the United Way Day of Caring!!! Many sincere thanks to Canada Life and their handy and devoted workers!
One of United Way Regina’s new initiatives is also important in planning for the children who attend SCEP CENTRE; that is the promotion of literacy to young children. Research demonstrates that achieving appropriate grade level reading by Grade 3 is an important indicator in high school graduation rates. This past year SCEP CENTRE was happy to be included in a literacy event planned by United Way Regina for Ecole Connaught. Early in the fall the SCEP children each received a decorated pizza box filled with a book, a craft and other literacy materials centered on the theme of Clifford, The Big Red Dog.
Inspired by United Way Regina’s goal to promote a love of reading and in keeping with SCEP’s ardent belief in the importance of communication, SCEP CENTRE initiated a take-home literacy program for the children enrolled in SCEP’s regular program and those in our Coming Together Growing Together program. Each month from February to June 2016 each child took home a special red book bag. The bag contained a new book, a letter to the parents, an easy craft and suggestions for more at-home activities pertaining to the theme of that month. Parents and children have enjoyed this program! It is hoped that funding can be found to continue the program in the fall.
Inspired by United Way Regina’s goal to promote a love of reading and in keeping with SCEP’s ardent belief in the importance of communication, SCEP CENTRE initiated a take-home literacy program for the children enrolled in SCEP’s regular program and those in our Coming Together Growing Together program. Each month from February to June 2016 each child took home a special red book bag. The bag contained a new book, a letter to the parents, an easy craft and suggestions for more at-home activities pertaining to the theme of that month. Parents and children have enjoyed this program! It is hoped that funding can be found to continue the program in the fall.