Metro-Omaha Raise Me to Read

g Campaign, The Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy County and the United Way of the Midlands. We are housed at the Barbara Weise Community Engagement Center on the campus of the University Nebraska Omaha and are supported by the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences. At our campaign announcement in July 2019, we used the marvelous story The Three Questions by John Muth (inspired by a Leo Tolstoy story) to describe our work:

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO DO THINGS? The only important time is now. Now is the time to align all systems to ensure that children are able to read by third grade, that they hold and hone their learning out of school, and that they show up in all aspects of their lives. WHO IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE? The most important one is the one you are with. Our families and communities will come to understand the imperative of early literacy, discuss it out loud and often, and embrace the change in life-trajectory literacy will create for our children. WHAT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO? The right thing is to do good for the one who is standing at your side. The already marvelous “good-doing” occurring in this community will shift from reacting to responding, focus on individual assets, and fill any discovered gaps in services so all in our community find themselves safe and secure. OUR GOALS:
Increase the number/percentage of children ready for kindergarten. Increase the number/percentage of children who demonstrate evidence of sustained or improved reading proficiency from one year to the next. Increase number/percentage of children who are reading proficiently by the end of third grade. Increase the number/percentage of children 5 and under who are living above the poverty level.