brown county cradle-to-career newsletter

achieve brown county pillar: creating and maintaining a shared community vision

outcome area: kindergarten readiness

Greater Fox Valley Child Care Alliance is making strides and getting nationally recognized for addressing childcare accessibility, a critical issue impacting families and the local economy. Check out this insightful article by the Chicago Fed Insights that highlights the challenges faced and the collaborative efforts underway to ensure every child has access to quality care.

The Greater Fox Valley Child Care Alliance is a collective action initiative facilitated by the Basic Needs Giving Partnership. Backbone staff from Achieve Brown County are members of this alliance as childcare and early childhood education are an important milestone in a young persons educational development.

achieve brown county pillar: leading with evidence-based decision making

outcome area: early grade reading

Reading for the Future Partner Spotlight: Howe Elementary Community School + The Wisconsin Reading Corps

The Wisconsin Reading Corps, an AmeriCorps literacy program, is on a mission to transform the educational landscape by empowering local communities and fostering a love for reading among students. Howe Elementary Community School opened their doors to this program over the 2023-2024 school year. Amy Kallioinen, Howe Principal, shares, "Their work both supported and accelerated the work already happening at Howe, and it felt like it was the missing piece of the puzzle for our scholars."

The Reading Corps is a data backed reading programs showing an impressive 71% of students exceeding their targeted growth at Howe Elementary Community School this past year. In addition, Evidence for Essa did a study on the Reading Corps program's success rates, which can be accessed below.

achieve brown county pillar: facilitating and supporting collaborative action

outcome area: high school graduation

Graduation Task Force Partner Spotlight: Y Achievers at the Greater Green Bay YMCA

"Check out the incredible impact of our Y Achievers program, generously supported by Miron Construction Co., Inc. and other valued community partners! Through a partnership with the Achieve Brown County initiative, we're committed to supporting students on their journey to graduation and beyond."

The Y Achievers program, through the Greater Green Bay YMCA, empowers young minds to explore career paths, build life skills, and set goals for their future. This partnership between the YMCA and the Greater Green Bay Area Public School District began at the Achieve Brown County Graduation Task Force initiative and has since become fully supported by the two partner organizations, changing the way our community supports our young people.

achieve brown county pillar: creating and maintaining a shared community vision

outcome area: early grade reading

Early Grade Reading Backbone Staff Spotlight: My Why, Volunteering as a Reading Coach

"Since my work often operates behind the scenes, I felt compelled to engage directly with our community and with our community’s young people. I believe in the systemic work that Achieve Brown County does and investing some of my time back as a volunteer in our community always reminds me of the passion my mom instilled in me to help others."

Achieve Brown County's Executive Director, Sarah Beckman, shares her experience being a reading coach for elementary students in Brown County. Reading Coaches for Kids is a program run by the Volunteer Center of Brown County. This program is a volunteer tutoring program designed to increase students’ reading abilities and academic success.