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What is Read United?

Read United supports year-round programming to improve early childhood literacy across our region. Key initiatives include Read United Day, Read United Buddies, and Summer Reading Programs. Originally known as “Read Across Liberty” this program served students within Liberty County and Fort Stewart between 2014 and 2020. Due to the generosity of our sponsors and donors, we now serve students throughout schools in Bryan, Chatham, Effingham, Liberty, and Long counties.


Why is Early Childhood Literacy Important?

Reading proficiency and literacy is vital to the success of our community. Children with reading difficulties are more likely to experience health and behavioral problems, teen pregnancy, premature departures from school, trouble sustaining employment, and even poverty.  Through Read United, we seek to increase opportunities for achievement and brighter futures for all by ensuring that children reach important language milestones.

By the end of the third-grade children should be shifting from learning to read to reading to learn

61% of low-income families do not have any books in their homes in the United States

3rd grade students who are not proficient in reading by the end of the year are four times more likely to drop out of high school

By age 10, a child’s path to success is determined by their reading proficiency


How we all make a difference

With Upward Mobility in mind, United Way of the Coastal Empire intends to help build a ready & resilient workforce and a better future for our youngest citizens. One strategy to accomplish this is to advance early childhood literacy. Through the support of our donors, volunteers, and partnerships, the below programs are implemented year-round in our region.

Read United Day

Read United Day reaches Bryan, Chatham, Effingham, Liberty, and Long counties, promoting literacy and a love for reading. On this day, nearly 1,000 United Way volunteers will read to classrooms and leave a new book behind for each class. In Bryan, Effingham, Liberty, and Long counties, every child will receive a new book to take home. In Chatham County, United Way will continue our pilot program in partnership with Live Oak Public Libraries and the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System to incentivize children and families to engage with local public libraries through exciting competitions. Students and their families can access the public library, participate in programs, and borrow up to five books at a time. In total, Read United day benefits more than 20,000 children!

Learn more

Read United Buddies

Partnering with The Rotary Club of Savannah and the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System, Read United Buddies is a one-on-one reading program that connects second-grade students in Chatham County with dedicated volunteers for shared reading experiences using an evidence-based curriculum. Volunteers commit to spending one hour twice a week at an assigned school, supporting a second grader who needs help reading on grade level.

Volunteer

Summer Reading

Summer Reading Programs across Bryan, Effingham, and Liberty counties provide children with books to enjoy throughout the summer, fostering a love for reading and learning.

Partnerships

Deal Center’s Language as a Missing Link & Missed Opportunity: United Way, one of just two organizations in the state, received the Language as a Missing Link and Missed Opportunity Champion Award. This initiative entails a series of professional development and strategic planning sessions in Chatham County targeting practitioners, educators, nonprofits, and policymakers. The focus is on implementing a toolkit to improve language and literacy skills in children from birth to age 8 and devising a plan for widespread community implementation across diverse support systems.

United Way of the Coastal Empire is bettering our community—one book at a time!

For questions or to secure your sponsorship, contact [email protected] or (912) 651-7700.

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