Third is the Word: Join United Way of Northwest Michigan in supporting the teachers in our 9-county region

September 7, 2023 – Traverse City, MI – United Way of Northwest Michigan invites community members in the 9-county region to donate school supplies for third grade teachers in their “Third is the Word” campaign, as part of our Day of Caring events.

School teachers often find themselves paying out of pocket to furnish their classrooms with necessary items for the school year, such as pencils, erasers, and notebooks.

Across Michigan, third-grade has been identified as a benchmark year when students need to be proficient at reading. Literacy is one of the key factors in determining students’ educational outcomes and influences future job placement and income. UWNWMI is committed to improving education and literacy in our communities, to ensure better quality of life.

According to United Way Worldwide, “Kids who read proficiently by third grade are more likely to graduate high school. Yet, only 36% of fourth-grade students in the United States are proficient (or better) in reading according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress.”

United Way of Northwest Michigan is accepting donations weekdays from 9 am – 5 pm between September 11-21, 2023 at three locations:

Traverse City main office – 4075 Copper Ridge Drive, Traverse City, MI 49684 Wexford/Missaukee branch – 421 S Mitchell St, Cadillac, MI 49601 Charlevoix/Emmet branch – 1691 US-31, Petoskey, MI 49770

Donations will stay within their communities, and interested parties can explore further on our website: www.unitedwaynwmi.org, contact Bailey Nuss, Director of Volunteer Engagement, at bailey@unitedwaynwmi.org, or check out the Amazon wishlist directly at: rb.gy/18482

United Way of Northwest Michigan is excited to help teachers get ready for back-to-school, and to engage with the community in such a caring way.