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United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona announced today new investments of $70,000 in Cradle to Career (C2C) initiatives which will be used to support programs in early grade literacy and middle school math.  Elementary and middle schools in the Tucson Unified, Marana Unified, and Sahuarita Unified School Districts will be the recipients of these investments to benefit educators and students. The Cradle to Career Partnership, anchored at United Way of Tucson, is a results-focused collaborative committed to ensuring that children and youth in Pima County have access to opportunities and resources to succeed not only in school, but in life.

A total of $38,000 will be invested in C2C’s Early Grade Literacy initiative for the benefit of Holladay Elementary in TUSD.  In MUSD, the beneficiaries will be Butterfield Elementary, Estes Elementary, Quail Run Elementary, and Roadrunner Elementary. And in SUSD, Sopori Elementary will be the beneficiary.

In the 2022-2023 school year, 56 educators will receive continuous improvement literacy coaching and data capacity building support. An additional 147 educators will receive data analysis support and/or technical assistance in elementary schools and over 3,900 students will benefit.  This work will also serve urban and rural communities which have the highest African American and other minority populations. 

A total of $32,000 will be invested in C2C’s Middle School Math initiative with schools to be chosen by the two districts in the near future.

In the 2022-2023 school year, a total of 20 educators, 575 students, and eight schools in the two districts will be served. The investment will serve the growing diverse student population across socioeconomic, race, ethnicity, and other markers.  

Zach Singer, principal of Quail Run Elementary in MUSD stated “Partnering with the United Way and Cradle to Career has allowed our staff to look at our data through a different lens. By partnering together, our teachers and the C2C staff create plans for literacy in the classroom that make lasting differences for the students we educate.”

Kristina Brewer, principal of Roadrunner Elementary in MUSD added that “I am looking forward to creating a collaborative partnership between second and third grade this year to help our scholars most impacted by school closures.  Our third grade team has been positively impacted by the partnership with Cradle to Career and I am excited to see them spread their energy and momentum to their second grade colleagues.”

And Dr. Tonya Strozier, principal of Holladay Elementary in TUSD, noted “We are looking forward to partnering with Cradle to Career. Our partnership will provide Holladay teachers with the high-quality, data driven support specifically designed to meet the academic needs of our students.”

“We continually talk about how our children are the future and how critical it is to provide them with a quality education and supportive resources,” said Tony Penn, President and CEO of United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona, “and these investments show that we put the resources entrusted to us into the needs of these children,” he continued. “These two specific areas, literacy, and math are crucial in a child’s educational journey and set the stage for future access and success and we are grateful to our donors for their valuable investment in our children and teachers,” Penn concluded.

About United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona

United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona is building a thriving community by uniting people, ideas, and resources. As we celebrate a century of service, we continue to respond to our community’s needs, transform individual lives, and bring long-lasting, systemic change to the community by focusing on the key, underlying issues. We fight for education, financial wellness, equality, and healthy communities for every person in Tucson and Southern Arizona from birth to end of life. Our role as community convener enables us to form strategic partnerships, mobilize the best resources, and be the catalyst for needed, positive change. Learn more at www.unitedwaytucson.org