At United Way of Cascade County, we want all kids to soar. So we work with the people who care for them — from families and neighbors, to schools and community agencies — to connect young people with the support they need.
Graduation is more than a milestone—it’s the foundation for a strong future. In Cascade County, many students face barriers on the path to a diploma, and Graduate to Elevate is here to change that.
This community-wide initiative—led by United Way of Cascade County and Great Falls Public Schools—brings together local partners to support students from early learning through graduation. By investing in our youth, we’re building a healthier, more resilient, and more successful community for all.
When our youth succeed, our whole community thrives.
Whether it’s knowing their ABC’s or how to stand still in a line after recess, we want every child to start school ready to learn and prepared to succeed.
Research shows a child’s first few years are critical to developing a strong foundation for success in school, work and life.
That’s why United Way of Cascade County focuses on early learning, wherever kids are being cared for. Helping childcare teachers, caregivers and families get support and training lets them provide that strong foundation. And helping community partners empower themselves improves childcare quality and access.
Reading matters. By fourth grade, kids should be reading to learn rather than learning to read. And if a child isn’t reading well by then, the road ahead is tougher.
So we’re bringing volunteers into childcare centers and classrooms to read aloud. We’re getting more books into more kids’ hands, including partnering with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library so children under 5 can get free books monthly. And we’re also mobilizing volunteer reading tutors.
Every Day Counts
Consistent school attendance is a key building block for student success. When students miss school, they miss out on critical learning, relationships, and support that help them thrive—academically and emotionally.
Even the best and brightest student will struggle to succeed if they don’t attend class. Our goal is to reduce the number of high school students who are chronically absent from 1 in 3 to 1 in 5.
We’re working with families, schools, and community partners to remove barriers to attendance, raise awareness, and build a culture where showing up is celebrated. Because when students are in school, they’re on track to learn, grow, and reach their full potential.
More high school graduates create positive impacts for generations of families and for communities as a whole, including economic growth and stability, higher incomes, less crime, healthier people, and more engaged, prideful citizens.
Building from the Graduation Matters Initiative established in 2011, Graduate to Elevate is a refreshed and emboldened mission to ensure every child can thrive and reach their potential. Through a collaborative partnership between the Great Falls Public Schools and United Way of Cascade County, along with community stakeholders from our healthcare, public service, higher education, and government sectors, we are working to mobilize community resources as well as inspire every person in Cascade County to find ways to help elevate our youth to graduation and beyond.
Cascade County still has work to do to ensure every student reaches graduation. We know that high school graduation is vital to put youth on the path to successful futures. Graduate to Elevate is a comprehensive, community-wide initiative in Cascade County designed to support our youth in reaching graduation so they can successfully navigate their futures.
Ultimately, the effort relies on parents, students, teachers, businesses and the community at large to work together to ensure our students graduate on time and ready for work or college.
We believe education is a cradle to career commitment that affects our entire community and structure our efforts based on that philosophy.