We are working to improve people's lives and build stronger and healthier communities. We know that higher education is key to ending poverty. In fact, kids in our area who graduate from college are 62% less likely to live in poverty than those who drop out of high school. That is why United Way California Capital Region, launched the Square One Project in 2016 - a 20-year commitment to increase the number of kids that graduate from high school ready for college or career. Together, we are working to end poverty starting in school.

We take a holistic approach to education with the understanding that factors outside of the school setting have tremendous impact on a child’s academic performance. We seek to co-power with communities in meeting Square One goals. Our goals are to keep kids in school and on track, set high expectations for what they can accomplish, and ensure their support systems are strong. To accomplish these goals we are building diverse initiatives and programs such as college savings accounts for kindergartners, financial literacy and coaching, improving literacy for early grade readers and providing healthy meals after school. Our work will help kids meet milestones in key areas such as school attendance, kindergarten readiness, 3rd grade reading, 5th grade proficiency, 6th grade reading and math, successful transition from middle school to high school, college entrance exam scores and other requirements. • We aim to effect "needle moving" change on a community-wide metric, based on the success of our current efforts in health, education, and financial stability • We believe that a long-term multi-layered investment by stakeholders is necessary to achieve success • We believe that cross-sector engagement is essential for community-wide systemic change • We are committed to using measurable data to set the agenda and improve over time • We are committed to having community members as partners, planners, and producers of impact

United Way has dedicated Community Program Officers working on each issue area, soliciting community input, reviewing research and consulting with experts in the field. United Way plays the unique and critical role of convening all of the stakeholders on a particular issue and identifying how we can leverage each other's work, investments, and skills to create a larger impact in the community. We also utilize evaluation and data collection tools data reporting system for our partners who are implementing programs. This allows us to review reports and monitor our investments in the community to ensure the greatest progress possible. Strong community partnerships with the Key stakeholders, government agencies, community-based organizations, nonprofit agencies, policy makers and the business community make it possible for United Way to lead or influence the success of social change solutions.

Our Square One Project steering committee has established key indicators for success and outcomes for our initiatives working with in target school districts. Performance is tracked annually and compares current levels, goal and progress.

In 2016, we officially launched United Way's Square One Project! Over the next 20 years, we will make a significant increase in the number of local kids who graduate from high school ready for success in college and beyond. Here are just some of the recent successes: Keep Kids On Track: We help kids reach important educational milestones. - Last year, 58 volunteer reading tutors supported 16 schools with 1,800 volunteer hours thanks to United Way's AARP Experience Corps. - After only one year of tutoring, 62% of students who started below grade level improved their reading, literacy performance. Keep Kids in School: We help kids stay healthy so they can go to school every day ready to learn. - Last year, we served nearly 200,000 healthy meals to local students to fill their bellies and fuel their ability to learn and stay focused. - In 2018, the rate of chronic absenteeism decreased by 26% at Square One Project partner Robla School District. Set High Expectations: We help kids and their families aim high and achieve. - We help make the dream of college a reality by seeding Kindergarten to College Savings Accounts. Ensure Strong Support: We help support families with tools and resources to get ahead and maintain financial stability. - Through our FREE TAX PREP program, we help families file their tax returns for free. - For the 2018 tax year, our volunteers helped 9,000 families save $1. 8 million in tax preparation fees and claim $11. 3 million in federal refunds.