On January 26, 2012, United Way was invited to present on the Boost! initiative at the first meeting of the Interagency Council on Ending the Achievement Gap. The Council wanted to learn more about the Boost! model of providing wraparound services for children and youth so that they are more successful in school. The Council, chaired by Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman and Commissioner Stefan Pryor from the State Department of Education, applauded the work of Boost! and recognized the importance of: using data to make thoughtful decisions about students' needs; connecting the schools and community-based programs so that they are working together to benefit children; and having an entity like United Way to serve as the "glue" to help ensure this coordination and strategic thinking happen.
United Way's Jennifer Heath, Executive Vice President and Laoise King, Vice President for Education took turns explaining how Boost! works and that it shares the goals of the New Haven School Change Initiative: to close the achievement gap with the state, cut the dropout rate in half, and ensure that every graduating student has the preparation and resources they need to succeed in college.
Watch this video clip of the meeting to learn more about Boost!
