Education Impact Stories

I’m Gloria Neunaber.

As Director of Trinity Child Development Center for 15 years, I know firsthand the importance of providing high-quality education to young children. Frankly, it can make all the difference in them succeeding in life. But I’ve also witnessed the increasing demands and diminishing resources available to centers like ours, which focus on serving low-income families.

That’s why I’m so thankful for United Way Capital Area and their early childhood initiative, Success By 6.

A couple of years ago, Success By 6 took aim at childcare centers like Trinity CDC—centers that were doing good work and serving vulnerable populations, but which didn’t have the resources to achieve and maintain national accreditation. Accreditation is how childcare centers can demonstrate to the community their quality, and how parents can choose the best place to send their children every day.

With this in mind, Success By 6 launched the “Childcare Facilities Improvement Project,” which aims to improve childcare centers across Central Texas by improving facilities.

Once United Way selected Trinity CDC as a recipient of the Childcare Facilities Improvement Project, things happened pretty quickly.

Over the course of several weekends, slews of volunteers—including corporate volunteers, ordinary citizens, and Boy Scouts—descended upon our center, carrying with them drills, hammers, paint cans, and enthusiasm. They rebuilt safety railings inside the classrooms, made minor repairs throughout the center, replaced a couple of broken windows, and constructed a new wheelchair ramp and infant sandbox. They also built a “tricycle garage” in the yard and laid down a brand-new rubber racetrack for those tricycles. They replaced playground sand (a favorite of local cats) with wood chips and remodeled a large play structure into a performance stage. They installed an outdoor water fountain and a new, safer playscape.

Their efforts were amazing and inspiring.

But the proof is in the pudding. When our kids saw their new facilities, their eagerness to start using their new playground and classrooms was impossible to contain. But even better, they saw first-hand what collaboration, volunteerism, and working together as a community means to agencies that are desperately trying to make a difference.

Why United Way?
Research shows that every $1 invested in quality early childhood education saves society up to $17 down the road—in remedial education, workforce training, public assistance, etc. In other words, investing in our youngest residents is good for everyone.

United Way Capital Area, and its community-wide early childcare initiative Success By 6, has identified Education as one of its primary focus areas. By bringing together more than 80 community groups and public agencies, Success By 6 has created an innovative approach to improving the quality of childcare centers across the region.

After just two years of Success By 6’s “Quality Child Care Mentoring Collaboration,” the number of quality-rated childcare centers in Travis County has more than doubled—from 14% two years ago to almost 30% in early 2008.

Find out how United Way's Success By 6 initiative is working to improve education in Central Texas.

I’m Peg.

Last year, while on leave from my job, I found myself with more free time. I decided I wanted to get more involved in community activities. I attended the fall meeting of the United Way Women's Giving Network (WGN). That particular meeting happened to feature a speaker who talked to us about child well-being and the state of childcare in the city.

The presentation moved me deeply, and I became interested in improving the quality of childcare in Austin.

Also at that meeting, I learned that the WGN did not yet have a system in place to provide its members the opportunities to participate in volunteer activities.

I knew that the WGN was a wonderful conduit for women who would like to broaden their commitment to the community and that volunteering would be a good first step. By participating in volunteer activities, WGN members could see measurable results and the immediate impact of their commitment first-hand.

Along with Susan Marler, the manager of the Women's Giving Network, I presented my idea to the WGN Executive Committee. And so began the WGN Volunteer Initiative.

The WGN Volunteer Initiative offers a wide range of volunteer activities to its members, such as participating in book drives, painting and landscaping local elementary schools, representing children in foster-care as an attorney ad litem, and engaging Congress to support legislation aimed at improving child well-being. Many WGN members have gotten involved in unique and meaningful ways - and the positive impact of their actions is rippling through the community.

At United Way, we're about helping people help people.