Student Program, On Track To Success Launches in West Windsor Ahead of Schedule
Students from West Windsor will be attending school this fall with a little help from On Track to Success, a poverty reduction strategy funded by United Way/Centraide Windsor-Essex County.
The program ensures local youth have the support they need to graduate high school, attend post-secondary education and reach their full potential. Last year, students living in low-income neighbourhoods in the county were targeted for the pilot program in Leamington. Overwhelming community support has allowed On Track to Success to expand into West Windsor, a United Way priority neighbourhood, in time for the 2016/17 school year.
“We are pleased to be expanding the On Track to Success program,” says Alicea Fleming, Success Coach for the West Windsor group. “We know that education is one of the clearest pathways out of poverty. Our community won’t thrive unless all residents have opportunities for the future,” she added.
Students enrolled in the program have the ability to earn up to $4,000 in scholarships for post-secondary education. Access to tutoring and other services like; recreational activities, volunteering, career building, mentorship opportunities, and individualized support, are at the core of the program.
“The On Track to Success Program has been incredibly successful in Leamington, and we are excited to be expanding into West Windsor ahead of schedule,” says Lorraine Goddard, CEO United Way Windsor-Essex. “This program would not be possible without the generous support of our donors and community partners, and we are all incredibly grateful.”
In 2015, United Way received help from Ontario’s Local Poverty Reduction Fund to support the evaluation of the program. The results to date have been extremely positive: Every student enrolled in the Leamington program passed and received full credits during their first year of high school; 75% of those students obtained a B- average or higher; and there was an improvement in school attendance and behaviour from all students. Students credit On Track to Success and their Success Coach for providing them with a happier and stronger life.
On Track to Success is one of the 32 programs funded by United Way across Windsor and Essex County to reduce and mitigate the effects of poverty. Last year, 42,000 people were supported by United Way. To learn more about the On Track to Success program, visit online.