VERO BEACH — Local philanthropist Barbara Becker Hurley has made a generous gift of $25,000 to the Gifford Youth Activity Center to sponsor The Learning Alliance Summer Literacy Program. This gift will enable up to 30 children to receive literacy tutoring.
Students who are attending summer camp at the Gifford Youth Activity Center and are in need of reading support will be eligible for the free tutoring.
The one-on-one literacy tutoring will be facilitated by The Learning Alliance. Each child will be tested to assess reading needs and assigned a trained tutor, who will work with the child 45 minutes daily.
The tutors will employ “The Sonday System,” an evidence-based literacy program, proven effective for teaching struggling readers. Tutors will be overseen by a master coach. Goals for the students include closing the performance gap between them and their peers, and preventing “summer slide”, the documented loss of skills over the summer.
The Learning Alliance partners with the School District of Indian River County during the school year to provide teacher training and literacy programs for children in grades K-3. Over 800 children have been served by Learning Alliance with programs in all 13 elementary schools in the county. Investments by our Founders enable
The Learning Alliance to train master coaches in the school district, giving our community the local expertise to help our civic youth organizations. The Gifford Youth Activity Center states that its sole purpose is to enhance the academic achievement of children in Indian River County, and is an ideal partner for The Learning Alliance.
The Learning Alliance is a grass-roots, non-profit organization dedicated to dramatically improving student literacy in Indian River County. Through innovative, evidence-based approaches to teaching and learning, we empower teachers to transform children’s lives. We hope to create local solutions, which can serve as a model for the nation.
All programs of The Learning Alliance are made possible through the generosity of its founders, including Ray & Jean Oglethorpe, Don & Patsy Riefler, Barbara Becker Hurley, King and Dace Stubbs, and Whitney & Betty MacMillan.
