Success By 6: Gheens Bridges To Tomorrow Initiative
Metro United Way Success By 6 is dedicated to ensuring that all children are safe, healthy, nurtured and prepared to succeed in kindergarten. We believe so strongly in the long term benefits of high quality early care and education that we recently committed to leading our community in assuring that by 2017 all children enter kindergarten prepared to succeed. We also understand that in order for children to be successful, families need the stability to encourage that success. Because of this we have embarked on the Gheens Bridges to Tomorrow Initiative to inspire families, community centers and the broader community to Dare to Dream Bigger!
What is Gheens Bridges to Tomorrow?
Gheens Bridges to Tomorrow is an empowering, innovative, and collaborative initiative focusing on helping ensure early childhood success for children and support for their families’ financial stability and health.
Quote:We believe that families are creative and resourceful, so Bridges to Tomorrow offers families the freedom to dream big - to identify long-term goals and aspirations.
What Goals Will Bridges to Tomorrow Achieve?
Bridges to Tomorrow aims for children to start kindergarten prepared to succeed and excited to learn on the very first day. That’s the Bridges to Tomorrow vision. That’s the Bridges to Tomorrow goal.
To support this aim, Bridges to Tomorrow will strengthen and empower local families, childcare and community centers, and the community at large, so each will support and nurture each child’s love of learning. It will also measurably work to improve their families’ financial stability and access to health information.
What’s New or Different about Bridges to Tomorrow?
Empowering
Bridges to Tomorrow empowers families to define their own dreams and take positive action. It’s not about “fix what’s broken,” it’s about “dare to dream bigger.”
Innovative
Bridges to Tomorrow is experimental. It’s organic. It will grow and change as successful ways to enhance the core strengths of family and community are identified.
Collaborative
Families and Partners have a strong sense of shared vision, values and commitment.
How Will Bridges to Tomorrow Accomplish These Goals?
The Bridges to Tomorrow approach to success is designed to impact five key areas, each supporting and sustaining the others:
- The child is the heart and soul of Bridges to Tomorrow. The overall vision is for children to be excited about school and ready to learn.
- The family is equally supported. Families are creative and resourceful, so Bridges to Tomorrow offers families the freedom to dream big – to identify long-term goals and aspirations. It empowers families who are helping prepare children for school and supports families in becoming more financially stable by helping them to increase income, build savings, and gain assets such as home ownership or continued education.
- The childcare centers are a critical part. Bridges to Tomorrow strives to make each childcare center of high-quality and unique, so these Centers evolve into places of wonder and learning
- The community centers are the front line supporters of families and Bridges to Tomorrow. Bridges to Tomorrow efforts will support the centers in improving the quality of their services and becoming centers of choice – the place families come to improve their lives. Metro United Way has partnered with Americana Community Center, Louisville Central Community Centers, Neighborhood House, Presbyterian Community Center and New Directions Housing Corporation as part of this initiative.
- Ultimately, Bridges to Tomorrow will impact the broader community. Local neighborhoods will be strengthened, service providers will receive valuable learning, and communities will be mobilized to join forces and create positive change. This “ripple effect” will send the success of Bridges to Tomorrow out further and further, touching lives and changing the community for families everywhere.
Sponsors Partners
The Gheens Foundation Americana Community Center
PNC Bank Louisville Central Community Center
The Humana Foundation Neighborhood House
Presbyterian Community Center
New Directions Housing Corporation