Education

A female student sitting at a desk. Education is the best pathway out of poverty.

Students graduate prepared to succeed in college or career.

Education opens doors, broadens horizons and sets kids up for success. Along with health and income, it’s one of the building blocks of opportunity. That’s why we create, partner and invest in a wide range of programs that give kids a strong start, quality out-of-school time and clear pathways through high school to college and career.

 

Rise United 2030 Goals

 

We’ve collaborated with a broad spectrum of community partners to develop a set of 10-year goals to drive transformative change and advance racial equity in the areas of education, income and health in the Quad Cities. Together, we can ensure all Quad Citizens, regardless of race or ZIP code, have the opportunity and access to achieve their full potential.

To make that aspiration a reality, this is our key lever in the area of Education:

Challenge: Only 30% of Quad Cities third grade students are reading proficiently

 

Our goal: 90 percent of third-grade students reading on grade level by third grade by 2030

 

Double the achievement rate for Black and Hispanic students to close the gap

It will take all of us working together to ensure all Quad Cities students are reading on grade level and have a pathway for success in college or career. Can we count you in?

 

How We Create Opportunity

When kids fall behind in school, they get frustrated and check out before they drop out. We create, partner and invest in a range of programs that set students up to achieve now and in the future. Education is the best investment we can make to eradicate poverty, empower students to develop their full potential and build a strong talent and workforce pipeline.

Strong Start

A child’s earliest experiences – before they even enter school – can determine their ability to succeed for the rest of their lives. Our Strong Start priorities promote quality child care, kindergarten readiness and childhood literacy.

Born
Learning

Gives parents the resources, insights and skills to help parents become confident first teachers for their child.  

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Start Smart
Quad Cities

Supplies quality child development information and fun, educational ideas to do with your children. 

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Academic Success

We build educational success through partnerships with schools, families and community organizations. This includes supporting programs and partners that provide tutoring, mentoring, in-school and out-of-school programming and social-emotional learning that bolsters school-day activities, helps keep kids on track, or develops life skills in order to improve their academic success.

Success After High School

From tutoring and mentoring to improving school subject matter, our programs and targeted initiatives are designed to encourage and promote college and career readiness. We work and invest in partners helping to ensure that every high school student is prepared to succeed after graduation.

Education Funded Partners

Our Strategic Impact Grants deliver measurable improvements in our impact areas of education, income and health. The following Funded Partners assist our efforts to strengthen education for all Quad Citizens.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley
Black Hawk College
Boys & Girls Club of the Mississippi Valley
Community Health Care, Inc.
Community Action of Eastern Iowa
Davenport Community School District
East Moline School District 37
EveryChild
Family Resources
Fresh Films

Friendly House
Hand in Hand
Heart of Hope Ministries
iJAG (Iowa Jobs for America's Graduates)
Junior Achievement of the Heartland
Narratives QC
One Eighty
Project Renewal
Safer Foundation

SAL Community Services
Spring Forward
STEAM ON WHEELS
TMBC
Two Rivers YMCA
United Township High School Dist. 30
YMCA of the Iowa Mississippi Valley
YouthHope
YWCA of the Quad Cities

See the full list of 51 Funded Partners who, collectively, help give Quad Citizens the opportunity for economic mobility, quality education and health care – regardless of race or ZIP code.

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