The River Region Bold Goal Coalition is a community-wide effort to increase the number of students reading proficiently by the end of the third grade.
A student’s ability to read at the end of third grade is a strong predictor of that child's future success in school and what career opportunities they will have after graduation. Third grade is when students make the leap from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” Young learners who continue to struggle after third grade more likely to struggle in middle school and high school, less likely to graduate from high school, and less likely to be college- and career-ready. For struggling readers, it is difficult to catch up after moving on from third grade, and currently, more than half of fourth grade students across the River Region are not reading proficiently, according to fourth grade reading assessments. Increasing the number of students reading successfully by the end of the third grade is vital for our River Region to thrive today and for years to come.
Percentage of 4th Grade Students NOT PROFICIENT in Reading in the River Region
Autauga
41%
Elmore
45%
Lowndes
78%
Macon
77%
Montgomery
66%
The River Region Bold Goal Coalition is built on a simple premise:
Working together, rather than apart, we have a bigger, bolder impact.
Launched by River Region United Way, the Bold Goal Coalition brings together the people, organizations and projects that support children and families during the first eight years of a child's life. Bold Goal partnerships will continue to do what they do best while identifying community-based solutions to shared challenges. Together, we will tackle the root causes that keep children in our communities from reading proficiently. We will drive systematic changes to help every child succeed.
Our work is driven by five principles:
CONVENE
The Bold Goal Coalition brings together community leaders and groups to learn from each other, identify actionable benchmarks, and further our impact beyond what we could do on our own.
LINK
The Bold Goal Coalition links the unique missions of our partner organizations around a shared community-wide vision.
MEASURE
The Bold Goal Coalition shares data about our area's children and the results of our collective impact. We track milestones that will bring us closer to our Bold Goal of every child reading proficiently by the end of the third grade.
INVEST
The Bold Goal Coalition will identify and provide the resources needed to support new and ongoing results-focused efforts.
ADVOCATE
The Bold Goal Coalition advocates for policy solutions and strategic public investments that drive systemic change.
River Region Bold Goal Coalition Partners
Alabama Arts Alliance
Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education
Alabama Department of Human Resources
Alabama Department of Mental Health
Alabama Partnership for Children
Alabama Power Company
Alabama Reading Initiative
Alabama School Readiness Alliance
Alabama State Department of Education
Alabama State University
Alabama Talks
ALFA Insurance
All Macon County Children Matter, Inc.
(Children's Policy Council)
Auburn University at Montgomery
Autauga County Children's Policy Council
Autauga County Schools
Boys & Girls Clubs of the River Region
Carey Center for the Advancement of
Philanthropy & Nonprofit Studies
Central AlabamaWorks
Child Protect, Inc.
City of Montgomery
Common Ground Montgomery
Davis Elementary / Phalen Academies
Dixie Electric, Plumbing, and Air
Easterseals Central Alabama
Elmore County Public Schools
Family Guidance Center of Alabama
Family Support Center
Faulkner University
Trenholm State Community College
Wetumpka Area Chamber of Commerce
Gift of Life Foundation
Hancock Whitney
Helping Montgomery Families Initiative
Lowndes County Children's Policy Council
Lowndes County Public Schools
Macon County Schools
Mental Health America in Montgomery
MGMWERX
Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce
Montgomery City Council
Montgomery City-County Public Library
Montgomery Community Action Committee & CDC, Inc.
Montgomery County Board of Education
Montgomery County Public Schools
Montgomery Education Foundation
Montgomery Family Court (Children's Policy Council)
MST CPAs & Advisors, LLC
Pike Road Schools
Prattville Area Chamber of Commerce
Prattville YMCA
Reach Out and Read
River Bank & Trust
River Region United Way
Serious Injury Law Group, P.C.
ServisFirst Bank
Summer Adventures in Learning (SAIL)
The Gift of Life Foundation, Inc.
The Housing Authority of the City of Montgomery (MHA)
Tillman Davis Enterprises, LLC
Town of Hayneville
Women in Training, Inc.
YMCA of Greater Montgomery
To view the video of our Regional Leadership Forum where we announce the River Region Bold Goal Coalition, or for additional resources
Click Here
To learn how your organization can join the Bold Goal Coalition, please contact Adam Muhlendorf: 334.625.0175
