United Way Tapped for Leadership

BRIDGEPORT, CT - (August 31, 2006) United Way of Eastern Fairfield County President & CEO Merle Berke-Schlessel, Esq., is among the three leaders selected to co-convene the Bridgeport Alliance for Young Children (BAYC). Replacing the former School Readiness Council, BAYC will oversee the implementation of Bridgeport’s Blueprint for Young Children: Working Together for All Children.

Released last week, the Blueprint ensures that children in the Bridgeport will enter school ready to learn. It identifies goals, benchmarks, and outcome strategies that assure accountability in the execution of the plan. It aligns with Bridgeport Public Schools’ goals to reduce and, ultimately, close the achievement gap. Berke-Schlessel commented, “We at United Way are delighted to be a part of the Blueprint partnership -- working together to create real and lasting changes for our children and our community. Along with our educational initiatives Success by 6® and Operation Graduation, the Blueprint will better position youth in the greater Bridgeport area to succeed throughout their academic life and in the world of work.”

The leadership of the three co-conveners, Mayor John Fabrizi and Superintendent of Schools, John J. Ramos, Sr., Ed.D., and Berke-Schlessel, reflects the community’s role and responsibility in supporting the implementation of the Blueprint. Bridgeport Public Schools Early Childhood Department’s Deborah Watson, and United Way’s Judith Sklarz, will serve as co-chairs of BAYC and will guide the successful attainment of the Blueprint goals.

Nearly 75 community partners were involved in the support and development of the Blueprint, including Dr. Janice Gruendel, Senior Advisor to the Governor for Early Childhood; ChildFIRST’s Dr. Darcy Lowell; A.B.C.D.’s Dr. June Malone; GE executive and United Way Board member August Serra; Success By 6® co-chairs Mary-Jane Foster of the Bridgeport Bluefish and Dr. Thomas Kennedy of Bridgeport Hospital; Maria Brereton of the CT Department of Children and Families; Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition’s Barbara Edinberg; Frances Freer, Connecticut Department of Social Services; L Philip Guzman, Ph.D., Child Guidance Center of Greater Bridgeport; Bridgeport Public Education Fund’s Marge Hiller; and Tanya Smith of the Bridgeport Safe Start Initiative. The William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund and the United Way of Eastern Fairfield County provided funding for the project. The Blueprint is available for download at www.thewaytocare.org/publications/Blueprint_book.pdf <http://www.thewaytocare.org/publications/Blueprint_book.pdf>, or directly from United Way of Eastern Fairfield County, (203) 339-6310.

United Way of Eastern Fairfield County’s mission is to mobilize a stronger, more caring community across Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Monroe, Stratford and Trumbull. Our focus is on what matters. We are bringing people together from all across the community - people from government, business, faith groups, nonprofits, and ordinary citizens - to tackle the issues that matter most. United Way is committed to the bottom line results: the lives we change and the communities we shape. Find out more at www.thewaytocare.org