UWSL Proud to Partner with other Leading Business and Community Organizations to launch Prosperity 2020

By: Deborah Bayle
President and CEO

United Way of Salt Lake was proud to be among a handful of leading community and business organizations that participated in a press conference and signing ceremony to launch Prosperity 2020 on Tuesday morning.  Prosperity 2020 is an initiative to boost Utah education and to ensure a well-educated and trained workforce for the future.

I was pleased to be able to represent United Way of Salt Lake and offer our support as the initiative moves forward.  The goals of Prosperity 2020 coincide well with our goals and objectives for education.  UWSL is focusing its work on building a strong foundation of early learning from birth to age eight.  Our research shows that there is a direct link between early learning and success in school.  By the time children from low-income families enter kindergarten, they are typically twelve to twenty-four months behind other kids in language and pre-reading skills. It is critical to get infants and young children the tools and resources they need so they can start school on par with their peers.

The goals of Prosperity 2020 are as follows:

1.    To meet the needs of Utah employers, two-thirds of Utah adults should achieve a skilled trade certificate or academic degree by 2020.  This goal is based on a report released last year by Georgetown University’s Center on Education that said about 66 percent of jobs in Utah will require at least some postsecondary education by 2018.

2.    Success starts early.  By the end of elementary school, 90 percent of students should be proficient in math and reading.

“We have momentum, we have drive and we have vision,” said Mark Bouchard, senior managing partner of CB Richard Ellis and the chair of Prosperity 2020. “Prosperity 2020 is the best thing we can do for the economy.”

Utah faces challenges, including lagging academic performance, changing demographics and increasing workforce needs, but we can still ensure a bright future for Utah by pledging to LIVE UNITED by helping our children succeed in school and life. To learn more go to the United Way of Salt Lake website and pledge your support for education.