DAVENPORT, Iowa — United Way Quad Cities is expanding its investment into local kids.
The organization is partnering with Communities in Schools, a leading dropout prevention organization, who supplied a $1,000,000 challenge grant. The funding will increase support from two to five schools in the Quad Cities area.
"Our goal is just to make sure that we're serving the whole child, helping them feel supported," said Madison Elementary School Principal Brianne Barr. "So they can achieve their goals and continue to learn and grow at school."
The education focused section of the organization, United for Schools, began in 2021 and serves students in lower poverty areas.
Barr said one of her school's biggest concerns is attendance. "Attendance is a huge need at Madison. If students aren't here, they aren't able to learn," she said.
Barr said members of Communities in Schools will work with students and help the school identify obstacles and address them.
"They would attend our intervention team meetings where we are identifying students who need those extra supports," she said. "When they come in the building it'll be another safe person for them to talk to and rely on."
Madison Elementary was the first school to partner with United for Schools impacting many children over the last few years.
According to the group, over 500 students received glasses from its Vision to Learn Program. One third grade student at Madison Elementary said she was happy to receive her pair of lenses.
"If I have my glasses, I can read and I can focus," she said.
Barr said the school has seen progress because of the program. "[The students] were sitting in a classroom and just could not see what the teachers were writing or what they were reading," she said.
"So many of the students when they put those glasses on, they had the 'aha' moment...Their lives changed because they could see clearly," Barr said.
She said the United Way has brought opportunities many students don't typically have access to.
"Many of our students don't have the opportunities that other students in the area have," she said. "They've really stepped up in ways to help our children experience life in a better way."