United Way of Cass County Inc.

Filing Period

Jan 1, 2012 to Dec 31, 2012

Signed

Sep 18, 2013

Return Version

2012v2.0

Gross Receipts

$1,011,562

Mission

Major Activities

Activity 2

All other programs and programs services expenses.Following the investment framework as described in 4a, facilitate, initiate, implement, participate, and/or fund United Way programming and initiatives including:Education- Cass County Reading Railroad; Cass County Resource Network & Childcare Preschool Task Force; Live United Day a Day of ActionIncome- Client Track data base shared by community agencies; Cass County Resource Network Employment, Family Stability, and Neighborhood Task Forces; 2-1-1 Information & Referral ServiceHealth- Backpack Program for Thompson & Pioneer Schools; FamilyWize Prescription Discount Card; Cass County Resource Network Food Security Task Force; Better Health for Cass County Network & Obesity, Reduce Healthcare Costs, Behavioral Health Task ForcesAdditional United Way programming:The Community Investment Process; Community Level Work; Agency Work; Capacity Building; Advocacy; Volunteer Coordination.

Activity 3

Cass County Reading Railroad: Reading success for young children raises community-wide awareness of the critical importance of early literacy and cultivates the community's capacity to sufficiently support the reading success of young children.The Cass County Reading Railroad serves as a catalyst for increasing the awareness of the importance of early literacy, and to engage the community in promoting educational success for young children. Through its many programs, the Reading Railroad helps to ensure that all young children in Cass County are given the opportunity to experience the love of reading.-Camp KindergartenA hands-on, parent and child learning center that helps get local children ready for Kindergarten, through a series of interactive activities. Camp Kindergarten takes place during the summer months, at our Literacy Centers at the Logansport and Walton Public Libraries. Local parents, work with their child on activities that will help children strengthen the skills they will need to be successful in Kindergarten. -School Readiness NetworkThe Reading Railroad has taken a leadership role in the School Readiness Network. The SRN is an extension of the community level work taking place through the Cass County Resource Network (CCRN). The School Readiness Network was developed as a taskforce of the CCRN, with the main goals of improving the childcare and preschool opportunities and needs in Cass County. The group consists of local preschool teachers, daycare directors, kindergarten teachers and early childhood advocates. Collectively, the SRN members are working on ways to improve the quality of care that is currently being provided by our local daycares and preschools. A bridge has never existed between our local preschools and our Kindergarten teachers---with the help of the SRN, bridges are being built, quality early childhood experiences are increasing in Cass County, and we are working as a community to help ensure that children are being provided with quality and educational rich experiences, prior to entering Kindergarten.-Reading Railroad Begindergarten ProgramThe Reading Railroad Begindergarten program is a forward thinking and greatly needed program that provides a summer-intervention opportunity to those children in our community who are most at risk for failure in Kindergarten. Through a screening process, developed by the Reading Railroad and facilitated by Logansport Community School Corporation Kindergarten teachers, the Reading Railroad is able to identify which children in our community are most underprepared for entrance into Kindergarten. These children are then invited to attend the Reading Railroad Begindergarten Program---a six week summer school program facilitated by the Reading Railroad, whose purpose is to provide a last-minute boost to those children who are entering Kindergarten in the fall, but who are lacking the skills they need to succeed. Reading Railroad hires local teachers to teach the classes. These classes are rich with activities that help children strengthen the foundational skills they need in Kindergarten.This program will provide local children with the opportunity to have 90 extra hours of school readiness experience, prior to entering school in the fall. The majority of the Begindergarten students have had little to no preschool experience, so not only will these children gain a great deal of academic experience at Begindergarten, but they will also have an opportunity to engage in a classroom setting, before they enter Kindergarten in the fall.-Early Literacy CentersThe Reading Railroad ensures that children, birth-1st grade, have the tools they need to achieve educational success, including access to books and activities that foster early literacy development. One way the Reading Railroad does this is through their weekly Early Literacy Centers. The Early Literacy Centers, which take place at the Logansport and Walton Public Libraries, provide a consistent opportunity for

Filer

EIN

35-0868950