Women United Grants $181,000 to Early Education Programs

Women United is Lake County’s premier women’s organization that strengthens the community through philanthropy, leadership, and volunteerism while cultivating meaningful connections and belonging. In May 2024, it was declared that Women United is distributing $181,000 through its Little Kids, Big Futures philanthropy fund to bolster eight critical early education programs to ensure the foundation for solid and successful academic futures for Lake County’s children. Since 2014, Women United has allocated more than $1.4 million in grants.

The following programs will receive funding:

$86,000 – Kindergarten Countdown Camp (KCC)

Antioch, Beach Park, Round Lake, Waukegan, and Zion 

Funding will support United Way of Lake County’s summer learning program for 132 incoming kindergarteners with little to no preschool experience. Kindergarten Countdown Camp teaches social norms and builds key foundational skills such as shapes, letters, and counting.

$26,500 – B.E.S.T. Pre-K Program

Round Lake 

Funding will grant 20 scholarships for children to attend Round Lake District 116 Education Foundation’s preschool, providing an essential learning opportunity.

$23,000 – Better Together program

Fox Lake and North Chicago

Funding will support United Way of Lake County’s bilingual early learning program for children, birth to three years old, focusing on early literacy, healthy development, and parent engagement. Each family receives resources and materials to learn, play and develop school readiness skills together.

$16,500 – The Formative Years

Libertyville, Mundelein, and Waukegan

Funding supports Family First Center’s program that provides family education and early childhood enrichment for families in transitional housing with a focus on child development.

$14,000 –Early Literacy Leaders

Lake County

Funding will support Affirm Leadership Christian Academy’s program that provides an academic foundation for girls; tailored to meet individual deficits and close the gap before kindergarten.

$5,000 –Mother’s Trust Foundation

Lake County

Funding will provide scholarships for children to increase access to early educational experiences and services, enrichment, and extracurricular programming including daycare and summer camp.

$5,000 – Early Learning Club Center

Lake County

Funding will support United Way of Lake County’s four ELC Centers, year-round, designed to teach early literacy and parent engagement tailored to each center’s unique community needs. Funding will support programs in English and Spanish.

$5,000 – HUGS Women United

Lake County

Funding will support community engagement initiatives of Women United where members embrace the community with the resources and care it needs to succeed. This initiative will continue to provide an Early Learning Club at Whispering Oaks Apartments in Waukegan, resource fairs, and impact opportunities.

Women United of Lake County is a vibrant network of more than 145 women who support each other by leveraging our passions, ideas, expertise, and resources. Together we ensure that Lake County children are prepared for kindergarten and ready to succeed. Women United is a paramount community within United Way of Lake County.

With a forward-thinking mindset, Women United’s philanthropy is growing and mobilizing community-minded women through leadership and resource development to expand its impact on early childhood education.

We encourage you to get involved in Women United of Lake County and to learn more about the Little Kids, Big Futures Philanthropy Fund Guidelines. If you have any questions, contact our Senior Manager of Women United & Donor Engagement, Jessica Ceisel, at Jessica.Ceisel@uwlakeco.org.

For more information about Women United, visit www.LIVEUNITEDlakecounty.org/womenunited

Women United Grants $186,000 to Early Education Programs

Women United is Lake County’s premier women’s organization for strengthening the community through philanthropy, leadership, and volunteerism while creating a meaningful sense of belonging. In May 2023, it was announced that Women United will distribute $186,000 through its Little Kids, Big Futures philanthropy fund to support nine critical early education programs that will ensure the foundation for strong and successful academic futures for Lake County’s children.

The following programs will receive funding:

$84,000 – United Way of Lake County’s Kindergarten Countdown Camp (KCC)

Gurnee, North Chicago, Round Lake & Waukegan

Funding will support a summer learning program for 135 incoming kindergarteners with little to no preschool experience. Teaches social norms and builds key skills such as shapes, letters and counting.

$26,500 – B.E.S.T. Pre-K Program

Round Lake 

Funding will support a bilingual early learning program for children, birth to three years old, with a focus on early literacy, healthy development and parent engagement.

$20,000 – United Way of Lake County’s Better Together program

Green Bay Early Childhood Center in North Chicago

This early learning program is for children birth to three years old and their caregivers. Each family receives resources and materials to learn, play and develop school readiness skills together. Funding will support 36 sessions. Each session will serve 10 – 12 families.

$15,000 – The Formative Years

Lake County

Funding will support the Family First Center of Lake County, which will provide bi-weekly sessions for parents and 46 children, birth to five years old, on basic skills and preschool enrichment activities to prepare them for school.

$15,000 – Mano a Mano

Lake County

Funding will support the Healthy Kids/Healthy Families initiative, which will expand literacy programs for families with children ages three to five years old through home visits.

$12,500 – Affirm Christian Leadership Academy

Waukegan

Funding will support the Early Literacy Leaders program that provides an academic foundation for girls; tailored to meet individual deficits and close the gap before kindergarten.

$9,000 –Mother’s Trust Foundation

Lake County

Funding will provide scholarships for children to increase access to early educational experiences and services, enrichment, and extracurricular programming including daycare and summer camp.

$8,000 – Early Learning Club Center

Waukegan Public Library

Funding will support an Early Learning Club Center, year round, designed to guide parents on being their child’s first teacher. Funding will support programs in English and Spanish.

$5,000 – HUGS Women United

Waukegan 

Funding will support a community engagement initiative of Women United where members embrace the community with the resources and care it needs to succeed. This initiative will continue to provide Early Learning Club sessions at Whispering Oaks Apartments.

Women United of Lake County is a powerful network of more than 135 women who enable each other to leverage our passions, ideas, expertise, and resources to ensure children living in Lake County are prepared for kindergarten and ready to succeed. Women United is a critical community within United Way of Lake County.

Thinking ahead to 2024 and beyond, Women United’s philanthropy is poised to continue to grow and mobilize community-minded women through leadership and resource development in order to expand its impact on early childhood education.

To learn how you can get involved in Women United of Lake County and to know about the Little Kids, Big Futures Philanthropy Fund Guidelines, please contact our Senior Manager of Women United & Donor Engagement, Jessica Ceisel, at Jessica.Ceisel@uwlakeco.org.

For more information about Women United, visit: www.LIVEUNITEDlakecounty.org/womenunited