APS grant supports literacy, home painting
Casa Grande Dispatch
As part of its core mission for over 35 years, United Way of Pinal County has offered programmatic support with everything from homelessness to health care. With a recent $4,000 grant provided by Arizona Public Service Co., United Way is able to further its reach into the community in literacy efforts and a home painting program.
A portion of the grant will go to support United Way’s Dolly Parton Imagination Library, which works to improve literacy of children. Studies have shown that students that struggle with third-grade reading continue to fall behind in school and have a 20 percent increased chance of dropping out. Curiosity and the love for learning and reading begins long before the first day of kindergarten as 90 percent of the brain is developed by age 5. The Imagination Library provides children up to age 5 with access to books and resources to increase their reading level so that they may keep up with their peers and ultimately increase chances of success in their education.
