It's a fact - If a child can taste the fruits of success early in life, that child will enjoy enhanced prospects for success throughout life.

For several years, our United Way has been hard at work through its Success By 6 initiative to assure that the children of Indian River County experience success early - before the age of 6. We want every child to grow and prosper every day, for the rest of their lives.

Key Success By 6 strategies include raising awareness about early childhood development, improving access to critical health and human services and advocating for public policy that supports children.

In 2003 Success By 6 launched two programs aimed at improving the quality of early childhood core services in Indian River County .

Math & Science are child's play for area preschoolers

In conjunction with the County, School District and the Indian River School Readiness Coalition, Success By 6 offered a math and science workshop for area educators and early childhood development professionals in September, 2003. The Math & Science Workshop was an educational opportunity for preschool teachers to bring the latest in early learning on the subjects of math and science into their classrooms.

"What children learn now is so critical to their success later on. Without the early exposure they may have a harder time understanding more complex math and science as they get into the higher grades."

Sharon Lapoint, teacher support for mathematics, Indian River County School District .

Prepping for Pre-K

United Way of Indian River County's Success By 6® initiative has created a scholarship for childcare workers living and working in Indian River County who want to earn their Childhood Development Associates (CDA). The scholarship program was created in an effort to qualify more workers to teach under the guidelines set by the state office's Universal Pre-Kindergarten amendment, and to improve the quality of early childhood core services in Indian River Count y.

"The return on the investment is priceless. This scholarship will not only impact the early childhood education experience for our children, it will also have a strong effect on our teachers; increasing their employability, earning potential and leading them toward pursuing even higher levels of education."

Kathy Marshall
Success By 6® chair for the United Way of Indian River County , Early Childhood
Development adjunct professor at Indian River Community College .