Education

When you join other community members in investing in United Way, your donation improves local lives and our entire community.  Our priority community Education issue is to help children and youth achieve their potential.  Thanks to the work of local volunteers, the following Education Programs were selected to receive an overall investment of $136,100 from the United Way campaign for 2022.  Our priority community Education issue is helping children and youth achieve their potential.

Boy Scouts of America, Muskingum Valley Council

  • Cub Scouts   $10,000

Cub Scouting is part of the Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), available to boys and girls from first through fifth grade, or 7 to 11½ years of age and their families. Cub Scouting is part of the worldwide Scouting movement and aims to promote character development, citizenship training, and personal fitness.

  • Boy Scouts  $10,000

Boy Scouting is a membership level of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) for boys and young men. It provides youth training in character, citizenship, and mental and personal fitness. Boy Scouts are expected to develop personal values, learn the principles of American heritage and government, and acquire skills to become successful adults.

Girl Scouts of Ohio's Heartland Council, Inc.

  • Girl Scout Leadership Experience Troops  $5,000

Girls participating in Girl Scout troops discover themselves and their talents, connect with others and take action to serve their communities. Troop programming meets the developmental, educational, emotional, and social needs of girls and is offered at 6 levels from K - Grade 12. Girls participate in age-appropriate meetings, outdoor camps, events and programs, field trips, leadership trainings, and service projects. Troops meet in homes, schools, churches and community centers within Knox County. All programs are girl-centered and girl-directed. Caring adults encourage girls to explore a variety of topics, empower them to choose their goals, and then support them as they put their ideas into action.

Knox County Head Start, Inc.

  • Head Start and Early Head Start Programs   $56,100

KCHS provides comprehensive early intervention services focused on promoting healthy child development and family engagement to improve the health and school readiness for over 200 preschool children and 100 infants, toddlers and pregnant mothers with Head Start (HS) and Early Head (EHS) programming. KCHS provides a variety of options to meet the needs of families, including home-based, center-based and family child care home services. Comprehensive services include quality educational programming, health, mental health and nutritional supports for healthy development. KCHS' two generation approach engages with parents and guardians to enhance families' ability to support their child's development and to promote family self-sufficiency.

New Directions Domestic Abuse Shelter of Knox County, Inc.

  • AIM (Act. Impact. Motivate.) Prevention Program  $5,000

Coaching Boys Into Men (CBIM) is the only evidence-based prevention program that trains and motivates high school coaches to teach their young male athletes healthy relationship skills and that violence never equals strength. This program is adaptable to young men who are not involved in athletics, with small adaptations being made for language and content purposes based on the age of the group. This program offers Knox County middle and high school males the opportunity to participate in programming that addresses masculinity, aggression, consent, digital disrespect, and other topics, to create school climates that promote the developing and maintaining healthy relationships with all peer groups.

Science Play-Space Initiative (SPI), Inc.

  • Community Science Play Interactive (SPI Spot)   $20,000

SPI Discovery Space is located at 400 S. Main Street. Families and caregivers can bring their children to explore in an enriching playful space with carefully selected educational and scientific toys and equipment. SPI Spot is meant to foster community and scientific awareness in adults as well as provide important play and developmental experiences for the children. Targeted Programming reaches out to lower income children and PK-12, by providing and leading hands-on playful science activities in summer city parks programs, camps after-school programming at SPI or other venues. SPI is present leading playful science activities for all ages at community events around the county, and in the library.

The Salvation Army of Mount Vernon

  • Youth Programs   $20,000

The Salvation Army's Learning Zone provides after school tutoring and homework help to children in Knox County and offers a full-time summer day camp to student in the summer months June, July, and August. The program is available to students from Kindergarted through eigth grade. The Learning Zone aims to promote social, emotional, spiritual, and academic growth of students in attendance. To achieve these goals, the Learning Zone offers designated time to: relax and enjoy an after-school snack, work on their academic schoolwork, eat a nutritious dinner, and work on projects they are passionate about. All of this is done under supervision of trained childcare staff.

Read more about United Way of Knox County's Education Framework

To access Knox County programs, information and crisis services, dial 2-1-1, call 1.800.544.1601, text your zip code to 898-211, or visit Pathways of Central Ohio.