Allen County Education Partnership is a primary partner of the Learn United Initiative.  The goal of Learn United
includes closing the third grade reading achievement gap. To that end, United Way of Allen County has
spearheaded a bold plan that includes volunteers using some basic skills in conjunction with formal instruction
to aid young language learners. Such an effort proved successful in Madison, Wisconsin, and the goal is to do
the same here in Allen County.

Learn United volunteers select a kindergarten, 1^st, 2^nd, or 3^rd grade classroom in which to serve for one hour
each week. After-school opportunities are also available for those volunteers who want to help but can’t fit
regular classroom time into their schedules. The volunteers direct their efforts to literacy development, from
reaffirming the building blocks of literacy acquisition to helping struggling readers.

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