Invest in our children and emerging leaders

Identifying the most critical social issues and working toward solutions is United Way's role in our community. The new year provides us the opportunity to reflect on the previous year and plan for the next.

United Way collaborates with hundreds of organizations and companies, as well as thousands of individuals. To address next year's challenges, we need to practice collective impact through all of our coordinated and combined efforts. In communities we serve, there are two opportunities ahead of us, and they are closely connected.

The first is investing in our children. How can we help our youngest community members become successful and resilient? Robert Putnam, a well-known Harvard professor, describes in his book, 'Our Kids: The American dream in Crisis,” the challenge of helping young people today. The 'opportunity gap” between those with resources and those without has grown so great that low-income children often fall behind. Putnam stresses the new American dream is contingent on children from every background having the chance to succeed. In the 2014-15 academic year, 45 percent of students entering kindergarten in four Linn County school districts scored as not proficient in school readiness (1,078 out of 2,391), as measured by the Formative Assessment System for Teachers.

So how can our community help children most in need who struggle due to social challenges and lack of academic success? The answer is early intervention. Many studies show the earlier we intervene, the more children benefit and the more cost effective the solution.

In fact, James Heckman, an expert in the economics of human development at The University of Chicago, found through his research that investing in early childhood education shows a '7-10 percent per year return on investment based on increased school and career achievement.” Participants in his Chicago Child - Parent Center study were more likely to finish high school and less likely to be held back, need corrective help or be arrested for criminal activity.

We need to help children and families start strong. Quality child care, developmental and literacy programs, parent engagement and a circle of resources help prepare our youngest citizens. This will be a strategic focus for United Way in 2016, as we launch a new project to address this issue. Stay tuned when we announce details at our annual meeting in June.

The second issue is how to engage and build on the tremendous potential of next generation's community leaders. To tackle big problems, we need new ideas, creative solutions and new ways to connect people to causes. Getting involved can mean many different things: Volunteer at your child's school, donate to a project or get involved with a non-profit organization. The next generation of volunteers, donors and investors can own the future of their community and design it in their own way.

I know many of you want to get involved - here is your chance. Help us help the youngest in our community succeed. But like any endeavor, it takes a long-term commitment. Social problems are not solved in one day or with one project. Can you, the next generation, help the new generation?

At United Way, we identify the root causes of issues and connect people to resources. With your support, we can create a stronger community in the next year, the next decade, the next century and beyond. To learn more about what United Way does and how you can get involved, please visit our website at uweci.org.

' Lois Buntz is president and CEO United Way of East Central Iowa. More information: uweci.org