Utah

"Out of the 556 elementary schools in Utah, Jackson Elementary was chosen to host the special visit because of its low-income demographics. Eighty percent of the school's students are minorities and 87 percent are at an economic disadvantage, according to information from the State Office of Education. That's why, for low-income schools like Jackson Elementary, instilling in young students a love of reading is critical,' said Herbert."

"So a group of private philanthropists stepped in and offered to cover a portion of private school tuition for eligible students for three years. The students were low-income and, for the most part, low performing, and either were entering first grade or already in grades 1-4. They were placed in a random lottery. In the end, 1,363 students were offered scholarships and 1,279 were assigned to the control group, where their progress was monitored."

"A recent KIDS COUNT Data Book for 2012 reported that about one in six Utah children now live in poverty. And Salt Lake City's homeless shelter, the Road Home, is bursting at the seams due to a recent influx of homeless families in need of temporary housing. In response, two similar but unrelated campaigns are under way to help low-income children gear up for the coming school year."

"After high school graduation, when he turned 18 and was too old to live in a foster home, Macias knew exactly where he was headed: the streets. 'There weren't a lot of options with no money and no job, I was pretty sure I'd be homeless,' he says. But before he could pack his duffel bag, Macias received some happy news. A foster care worker told him about the Utah Youth Mentor Project, a program that matches teens who have aged out of state care with volunteers who provide friendship, advice and help with everything from finding an apartment to balancing a checkbook. "

"Utah high school students and their families would have to pay for college-level credits, long offered for free, under a bill headed to the Senate floor.SB284 is needed because Utah colleges and universities can no longer afford to provide concurrent enrollment instruction for free, according to sponsor Sen. Stephen Urquhart, R-St. George. "

"Whittier Elementary... is a Title 1 school, meaning it has high a percentage of students from low-income families. In Whittier's student population, 79 percent are from low-income households, 55 percent are students of color, and 25 percent speak another language in addition to English at home."