NORWICH – The Chenango County United Way has reached the halfway benchmark toward its annual campaign goal, this year set at $444,000, and in the midst of fundraising, the agency has its sights on using the money to foster different education programs throughout the county.

According to a survey study from the American United Way, 6,000 young people drop out of school every day. The organization established a long-term goal to raise the graduation rate from 74 to 87 percent by 2018, thereby cutting the dropout rate in half. As a result, it’s calling for a bigger push to sustain local programs that promote supportive communities, effective schools and strong families.

In Chenango County, 11 different programs committed to the safety, services and overall education of youth in the area received United Way funding in 2012. Although most didn’t receive the full amount of funding applied for, hopes are this year to offer more to educational programs that need support the most, explained Chenango United Way Campaign Associate Dale Losee.

“The big thing the United Way does with education is we look at it with a broad spectrum approach,” he said, noting that educational programs also exist outside the perimeters of a school. “A lot of the organizations we fund teach kids life-long lessons,” he said. “These are skills they can use every day to enrich their lives.”