Meet Edialys

Education is the cornerstone of a successful life.

At United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut, we’re working to create a community where every child has the opportunity to succeed.

By increasing access to early childhood education and promoting early intervention, our United Way is helping children achieve important developmental and academic milestones.

Meet Edialys

Take Edialys, a first-grader at Windham Public Schools. When Edialys arrived in Windham from Puerto Rico, teachers noticed she was having difficulty with communication and comprehension in both Spanish and English. After talking with Edialys’ family, school staff recommended after- school supports. The United Way-supported after school program provided Edialys with the attention she needed with homework and offered an opportunity for her to make new friends.

As a result, Edialys overcame her academic and social obstacles. Today, she’s able to read independently at grade level for more than 20 minutes in both Spanish and English and communicates with confidence in both languages.

“I’d recommend this program to anyone,” said Jeismarines, Edialys’ mother. “The kids socialize, they learn and become independent. I’ve seen huge progress with Edialys. To see how far she has come motivates me.”

Our United Way invests millions of dollars annually to provide children with early childhood education, improve grade level reading skills and ensure middle grade students succeed academically, so together we can help youth graduate High School prepared for college or career.

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