Children Are Successful Along
the Education Pipeline

kindergartenkid

Overview

The Community Foundation is pursuing the following two strategies toward this Result: Children are successful along the education pipeline.

  • Increase high quality early learning opportunities for birth to eight year olds
  • Decrease high school dropout rate (A “dropout” is defined as a student who leaves school and does not re-enroll in school.)

Here’s why:
The reports from experts echo our own experience: How far we get in school is a major predictor of health status, economic security and overall well-being.

That’s why the situation in our state is so serious, with a dangerously high dropout rate listed by the Southern Education Foundation as Alabama’s number one economic issue.  While we have attracted and expanded major industries, Alabama still trails the nation in education attainment, which threatens our economic competitiveness.

The Community Foundation recognizes the urgent need for policies, priorities and programs that can be effective in improving the Birmingham region’s education system. We’ve already seen examples where community engagement has been successful in setting the stage for education improvement, often by influencing policy, leadership and the distribution of resources.

Through the Yes We Can! Birmingham grassroots initiative organized by the Community Foundation in 2007, a series of Community Conversations engaged parents, teachers and community leaders and generated a Community  Agreement and led to the creation of the Birmingham Education Foundation.

Educational attainment and success for our children has never been more important to Alabama. The emergence of a truly global economy, along with technological advances, dictates that we pay close attention to our youngest children and ensure that they move along successfully through high school and beyond to technical training or college as preparation for the jobs of the future. The public benefits of improving education will far exceed the costs.

  • For more information about this Result and how your nonprofit organization can partner with the Community Foundation, contact James McCrary.
  • If you want to make a gift to drive positive change in this result, contact Erin Stephenson or use our secure on-line donation process.
  • If you are already a Community Foundation donor and wish to use your Advised Fund as part of our Giving Together program, contact Kathryn Corey.