Foundation Invests in
"Live Local Development Fund"
to Bolster Housing Development
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Thrive Economic Development (ThriveED) has announced the launch of the Live Local Development Fund (LLDF), an initiative aimed at promoting housing development and fostering vibrant communities across Greater Jefferson County.
The Foundation is proud to be the lead anchor investor in the new fund, with an investment of $2 million.
The LLDF, which will be administered by ThriveED, marks a pivotal step toward addressing the lack of available and affordable housing stock by incentivizing the creation of multi-family housing developments.
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Pyramid Model: Building Skills for Success |
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As part of the Every Child Thrives priority of Kindergarten Readiness, the Foundation has partnered with early care and education sites throughout our region to champion the Pyramid Model--a set of practices that supports caregivers and helps children develop the social-emotional skills (like communication and problem solving) essential for success in school. |
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New data from Dodge and Jefferson Counties supports the effectiveness of the Pyramid Model as an intervention. Children receiving early care and education in Pyramid Model environments showed greater competency across measures of developmental readiness in all categories except gross motor skills (where they showed equal competence).
The Ages & Stages Questionnaires® (ASQ®) is a tool being adopted by Every Child Thrives partners across our region to provide reliable, accurate developmental and social-emotional screening for children between birth and age 6.
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Our region boasts exceptional childcare providers who are leading innovators with respect to the Pyramid Model: Check out Tricia Peterson, Director of Future All Stars Academy in Juneau, featured in a new video that showcases how the Pyramid Model improved learning at her center. Click to view the video.
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A Workspace for Changemakers |
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We’ve got everything you need from flexible memberships to dedicated desks and office space for your growing team. All coworking memberships include access to collaborative space, video conferencing suites, cafe with complimentary beverages, access to industry meetups, networking happy hours, professional and personal development programs and more!
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Save the Date for PBS Kids Edcamp |
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Program Report: Wisconsin Reads |
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Reading proficiently by 3rd grade is the key measure of the Every Child Thrives partnership's school success initiatives.
According to the Children's Reading Foundation: “Without a strong foundation in reading, children are left behind at the beginning of their education. They lag in every class, year after year because more than 85 percent of the curriculum is taught by reading. And by the end of third grade, 74 percent of struggling readers won’t ever catch up. In fact, one of the most important predictors of graduating from high school is reading proficiently by the end of third grade.”
Program results for the last school year indicate 135 students received one-on-one tutoring help through Wisconsin Reads. While the overall percent of kids exceeding the targeted growth goal decreased (to 69.6%), there were real bright spots:
- Dodgeland increased from 53% to 70% over the course of a single year.
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Despite the decline in exceeding growth, ALL participating schools saw an increase in their 3rd grade reading proficiency scores their first year in the program compared to the year prior.
The Foundation has expanded investment in Wisconsin Reads for the 2023-24 school year to seven schools: Dodgeland Elementary (Dodgeland School District); Douglas, Webster and Schurz Elementaries (Watertown Unified School District); and East, West and Sullivan Elementaries (School District of Jefferson).
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Changemakers in Action:
Foundation-Supported Programs Doing Great Things
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Congratulations to the Watertown Area YMCA Early Education Center! They celebrated their grand opening with a ribbon-cutting that included the first group of children enrolled at the center. The Early Education Center is located at The Collective in Watertown and provides quality full and part-time child care services for ages 6 weeks to 5 years.
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Kudos to the Wisconsin Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board for creating some amazing FIVE FOR FAMILIES resources. Five for Families is a statewide public awareness campaign developed as a universal prevention strategy to increase the understanding of the Protective Factors Framework. Five for Families translates this framework into everyday language for parents, caregivers, friends, neighbors, and community members sharing the message of the 5 essential strengths that keep every family strong.
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How Can We Support Your Work? |
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The Foundation provides resources, tools and support to changemakers who work toward measurable improvement in community health. To date, the Foundation has invested more than $34 million in its three strategic, child-focused priorities: Strong Families, Kindergarten Readiness and School Success.
Capacity Building Grants are for agencies looking to advance their missions by developing leadership skills or strengthening organizational efforts.
Health Equity Grants support equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) projects or initiatives focused on removing obstacles to health for populations not well served under current systems and policies. The Foundation recognizes the dignity and value of every person, envisioning thriving communities where everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible.
Proposals must directly support the communities served by the school districts of Dodgeland, Hustisford, Ixonia, Jefferson, Johnson Creek, Lake Mills, Waterloo and Watertown.
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Further Resources (click on the links to access)
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Greater Jefferson County Housing Overview - Presentation from the recent Housing Summit, hosted by ThriveED, Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation and Jefferson County
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920.390.4000
672 Johnson Street, Suite 300, Watertown WI 53094
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