UWGT-led Coalition Wins 5th Pacesetter
The Shawnee County Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (CGLR) has been recognized for the fourth straight year (fifth overall) as a national Pacesetter community by the national Campaign for Grade-Level Reading. The community coalition, coordinated by United Way of Greater Topeka as part of its education impact work, focuses on student and family support to increase the number of students who read proficiently by the end of third grade. Shawnee County is the only community to receive Pacesetter honors this year in Kansas.
The current Pacesetter was awarded to Campaign partner Communities In Schools (CIS) of Mid-America for “Strengthening Support Services.” Two other Campaign partners are recognized as finalists and are competing for additional Pacesetter honors. The Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library (TSCPL) is a finalist in the School Readiness category with its Learn and Play Bus, which was previously honored by the national Campaign as a national “Bright Spot.” The Kansas Children’s Discovery Center (KCDC) is a finalist in the Parent Success category for its Play Free program that provides “play-based education and exploration for kids with an incarcerated mom.” The two finalist programs will find out in September if they have earned full Pacesetter status. 
To read more about each partner’s contribution, read the full press release at https://unitedwaytopeka.org/2020/08/cglr-earns-5th-pacesetter/.