(Chelsea Update would like to thank Bob Milbrodt for the information in this story.)
Last Monday, Chelsea Kiwanis heard from Tim Wilson and Bob Ufer, co-founders of Washtenaw Promise. Wilson has been an educator his entire life, primarily teaching science. He spoke to the very serious problem in Washtenaw County of educating at-risk youth. They are the most at risk for not getting a good education. He reported that about half of kids under 5 years live in poverty, mostly concentrated in Ypsilanti.
A major problem is scant resources and not enough people involved in their lives. He focused on literacy as an impediment to learning. Illiteracy is widespread worldwide, but even in America, 60% of the population is only at a 6th grade reading level.
Currently, in Ypsilanti, only 1 in 15 of 3rd graders are able to read at grade level. Washtenaw Promise’s Read with Kids program has over 100 volunteers reading books to children pre-K to 1st grade, promoting early childhood literacy, mostly 1 on 1. Project Outreach involves University of Michigan students in this role.
They have also partnered with Dolly Parton Foundation to get 1 book per month into the homes of these children. Washtenaw Promise seeks to partner with other entities to address this issue.
Bob Ufer spoke about the Woodlands at Bruin Lake. He was a neighbor to the former Boy Scout Bruin Lake camp, and bought the property for Washtenaw Promise. They are now expanding the use of the camp to many volunteer groups with development of programming focused on their mission.
Further information (and see the map below) is available at washtenawpromise.org.
Our Annual Mixed Nut and Chocolate Sale continues. These are both delicious gift items, available at Reed’s Barber Shop, from any Kiwanian, on Facebook, using the link on the Chelsea Update banner ad, and Sunday, Dec. 1, at Chelsea Farmers Market Pop Up at the Depot.
