The Learning Alliance and Indian River County’s “Moonshot Moment” Recognized for Work in Supporting Early School Success
VERO BEACH, FLORIDA (August 19, 2022) – The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (CGLR) announced today that it is again recognizing Indian River County’s Moonshot Moment Literacy Movement, managed by The Learning Alliance, with Pacesetter Honors for its work in 2021–22.
Ralph Smith, managing director of CGLR, says, “Our focus is on finding the bright spots and silver linings that highlight how dozens of states work to advance early school success and accelerate equitable learning recovery. Front and center are the Pacesetter Communities that illuminate all the great work that has happened this past year.”
Launched in 2010, the CGLR is a collaborative effort of funders, nonprofit partners, business leaders, government agencies, states, and communities across the nation to ensure that many more children from low-income families succeed in school and graduate prepared for college, a career, and active citizenship. Since its launch, CGLR has grown to include more than 300 communities, representing 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and two provinces in Canada — with 5,000+ local organizations and 510 state and local funders. Indian River County’s “Moonshot Moment” has received this highest pacesetter award every year since CGLR began the recognition.
Reviewers for the Pacesetter Honors made their choices based on the ability of the communities to meet the following criteria that demonstrate early school success:
- Stop playing catch-up: Ensure that fewer children start school so far behind.
- End chronic absence: Don’t let students fall further behind during the school year.
- Reverse the summer slide: Enable struggling and striving readers to make progress instead of losing ground.
- Address health-related challenges: Healthy development is key to early academic success.
- Equip parents to succeed: Parents are brain builders, first teachers and tutors, and strong advocates and best coaches.
- Advance grade-level reading and math: Start early, align and integrate.
- Slow learning loss and accelerate equitable learning recovery: Fast track access to the internet, tutors, and out-of-school learning.
“The Pacesetter Award is a validation of the collaborative work and efforts of The Learning Alliance, our investors, and community partners,” said Barbara Hammond, TLA CEO and co-founder. “We couldn’t do this without a community united around this goal and leading the way,” continued Hammond, referring to the community’s Moonshot Moment goal for 90 percent literacy by the end of 3rd grade.
“Our community has been recognized for 10 years for doing this important work. It has taken our community’s commitment, school board leadership, a superintendent who shares our passion, and the support of local government leaders, families, teachers, organizational partners, and private philanthropic funders to move the needle. We’re thankful to all of the partners, teachers, investors, and parents who have made Indian River County a leading literacy capital and model for the nation,” said Hammond.
“In these Pacesetter communities, we found a common spirit for acknowledging the challenges and then developing creative and effective solutions that fit their local needs. We applaud the civic leaders and local funders whose time, talent, energy, and imagination have fueled progress in these Pacesetter Communities,” continues Smith.
“We’re grateful for both the recognition and support that the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading gives us and other communities,” added Hammond. “The partnerships we have developed at the local, state, and national levels have enabled us to learn more quickly as we are all working toward this same goal to improve our communities by improving literacy.”
Hammond noted that we have 125 organizations who are part of the Moonshot Community Action Network (MCAN) working together toward improving literacy in our community. The MCAN members whose work was recognized in this Pacesetter award include the School District of Indian River County, The Learning Alliance, Childcare Resources, Early Learning Coalition, Environmental Learning Center, Big Brothers/Big Sisters AmeriCorps, Ocean Research and Conservation Association, Waste Management, Literacy Services, Treasure Coast Community Health, Healthy Start, Ballet Vero Beach, Youth Guidance, United Way, City of Vero Beach, City of Fellsmere, Indian River County Commissioners, Indian River County Hospital District, and the leaders in our Moonshot Community Action Network including Gifford Youth Achievement Center, Crossover Mission, Indian River Community Foundation, and our many funders who fuel this work.
“The stories we shared in the Pacesetter application were about systems change, people coming together, and aligning our Moonshot work to create the conditions where we can improve the literacy skills of our children. In a world that seems to be racked by upset, this is really a shining star of a community coming together and unified around a cause, which is getting our kids to read on grade level by the end of third grade,” said Hammond.
To learn more or to join the Moonshot Community Action Network to support our shared literacy goal, visit www.thelearningalliance.org. To learn more about CGLR, visit gradelevelreading.net and follow the movement on Twitter@readingby3rd.
