Way To Grow

SEE SCHEDULE OWORKING CLOSELY WITH PARENTS AND COMMUNITIES, WE ENSURE THAT CHILDREN WITHIN THE MOST ISOLATED FAMILIES ARE BORN HEALTHY, STAY HEALTHY AND ARE PREPARED FOR SCHOOL

WAY TO GROW HAS BEEN A LEADING MODEL FOR EARLY LEARNING AND EDUCATION PROGRAMMING IN THE TWIN CITIES SINCE 1989. WE BELIEVE THAT PARENTS ARE THEIR CHILDREN'S PRIMARY EDUCATOR, AND STRUCTURE OUR PROGRAMS TO EFFECTIVELY ENGAGE PARENTS IN THEIR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION. WAY TO GROW'S SECOND-GENERATION APPROACH HAS REACHED APPROXIMATELY 60,000 PEOPLE OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST 30 YEARS. SINCE OUR FOUNDING IN 1989, WE HAVE SOUGHT TO REVERSE NEGATIVE EDUCATIONAL TRENDS BY BUILDING TRUSTED, COMMUNITY-BASED SUPPORTS FOR THE PARENTS AND CHILDREN WHO ARE AMONG THE MOST ISOLATED FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITY. CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O.IN 2005, WE FORMALIZED OUR HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAM, AND IN 2006, LAUNCHED A FORMAL TEEN PARENT PROGRAM. IN 2007, WE OPENED OUR NATIONALLY ACCREDITED, 4-STAR PARENT AWARE RATED PRESCHOOL PALS PROGRAM, AND IN 2009, LAUNCHED GREAT BY EIGHT, WHICH IS NOW THE CORNERSTONE OF OUR WORK. GREAT BY EIGHT EXPANDED OUR EFFECTIVE AND STATISTICALLY PROVEN HOME VISITING MODEL TO INCLUDE CHILDREN FROM KINDERGARTEN THROUGH THIRD GRADE, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OVER 35 MINNEAPOLIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS (MPS) AND 20 CHARTER SCHOOLS. IN 2016, WE LAUNCHED AN ONSITE HUB FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD, ELEMENTARY, AND PARENT ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMMING AT THE LUCY C. LANEY COMMUNITY SCHOOL IN NORTH MINNEAPOLIS. OUR FOUNDERS CREATED WAY TO GROW WITH THE VISION THAT EVERY CHILD HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SUCCEED IN SCHOOL AND IN LIFE. OUR INNOVATIVE GREAT BY EIGHT HOME VISITING MODEL PAIRS FAMILIES WITH HIGHLY TRAINED FAMILY EDUCATORS WHO MIRROR THEM CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY TO PROVIDE IN-DEPTH, EVIDENCE-BASED, IN-HOME EDUCATION AND SUPPORT. FAMILY EDUCATORS HELP PARENTS TO PREPARE THEIR CHILDREN FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS AND SUPPORT FAMILIES BY PROVIDING CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE, WRAP-AROUND EDUCATIONAL SERVICES THROUGH YEAR-ROUND HOME VISITS AND IN-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION SUPPORTING SCHOOL READINESS, ELEMENTARY EDUCATION ACTIVITIES, CENTER-BASED LEARNING ACTIVITIES, PARENT ENGAGEMENT AND ADVOCACY, AND WRAPAROUND FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES, INCLUDING HEALTH AND WELLNESS EDUCATION, WRAPAROUND SUPPORTS FOR TEEN PARENTS, AND FAMILY STABILIZATION SERVICES. 2021 IMPACT: CHILDREN CONTINUE TO NOT BE ON EQUAL FOOTING AS THEY ENTER KINDERGARTEN, AND CHILDREN OF COLOR, AS WELL AS CHILDREN LIVING IN POVERTY, ARE MORE LIKELY TO FALL BEHIND EVEN MORE DUE TO THE LEARNING DISRUPTIONS. THE GOOD NEWS IS PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS FROM ALL SOCIOECONOMIC EXPERIENCES WANT WHAT IS BEST FOR THEIR CHILDREN. THIS MAKES THEM EAGER ADVOCATES FOR THEIR FAMILIES AND DETERMINED TO PARTICIPATE IN EFFORTS TO PROVIDE QUALITY LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES TO BRIDGE INEQUALITIES. IN 2021, WAY TO GROW PROVIDED 11,227 IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL HOME VISITS TO 1,760 CLIENTS (1,029 CHILDREN AND 731 PARENTS) AND HELPED TO STABILIZE FAMILIES THROUGH 1,343 REFERRALS TO SERVICES TO SUPPORT EDUCATION, MEDICAL NEEDS, AND ECONOMIC SUPPORT. OUR FAMILIES ARE DEMONSTRATING STRONG DURING A TIME OF UNCERTAINTY.FOR OUR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS AND FAMILIES, DURING THE 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR, 78% OF EARLY LEARNERS WERE DEEMED READY FOR KINDERGARTEN; 64% OF K-3 STUDENTS COMBINED DEMONSTRATED GROWTH IN READING LEVEL ASSESSMENTS, AND 84% OF PARENTS ATTENDED AT LEAST ONE OF THEIR CHILDREN'S PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES. LEARNING DISRUPTIONS OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS HAVE AFFECTED CHILDREN'S LITERACY GAINS, WITH WAY TO GROW CREATING NEW INTERVENTIONS AND CURRICULUM UPDATES TO TARGET LITERACY FOUNDATIONS MOST IMPACTED. DURING THIS TIME, WE CONTINUED TO WORK WITH PARENTS TO ENSURE HEALTHY BIRTHS WITH 75% OF WTG PARENTS HAVING A HEALTHY BIRTH IN 2021, AND 100% OF TEEN PARENTS NOT HAVING A REPEAT PREGNANCY.