Smart Beginnings

Success by 6 is now Smart Beginnings

Success By 6 was established locally in 1997 as an initiative of United Way of Greater Richmond & Petersburg. Since that time, Success By 6 has grown into a regional partnership for early childhood development and is beginning the new year with a new name — Smart Beginnings Greater Richmond Area (Smart Beginnings).

Success By 6’s evolution to Smart Beginnings began in 2006 when it merged with the Greater Richmond Chamber’s Youth Matters to form a jointly staffed venture with a strong regional leadership council of business, government, and education leaders. In 2007, this venture became one of 16 regional initiatives across the state to receive a Smart Beginnings grant from the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation, a public-private partnership that launched Smart Beginnings in 2005 to encourage and focus investment in early childhood development and improve the school-readiness of all young children.

Smart Beginnings Greater Richmond Area, led by United Way of Greater Richmond & Petersburg and the Greater Richmond Chamber, is a coalition of public and private organizations, businesses, and citizens working together to ensure that the region’s children enter school healthy, well-cared for, and ready to succeed in school and in life. It operates on the premise that when families and caregivers provide quality early childhood development, children enter school ready to succeed.  When children start school ready to succeed, they are more likely to read at grade level by 3rd grade. When children read at grade level by 3rd grade, they are more likely to graduate from high school. And when children graduate from high school, they are more likely to go on to higher education and/or enter the job market as tax paying citizens. Successful citizens contribute to the economic and social vibrancy of our community.

For more information or to get involved in the Smart Beginnings coalition, visit www.readychildren.net

Sponsors
United Way
Greater Richmond Chamber
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation





Header image - (C) 2009 Rick Kidd Photography.  All rights reserved.