ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Starting this fall, hundreds of preschoolers across Pinellas County will receive a big boost in literacy, thanks to a new $1.2 million grant.
Cheryl Watson has been teaching preschoolers how to read at the Academy for Love and Learning in St. Pete for the past 15 years.
“Reading is one of the most important things, and I always tell them if you can’t read, you can’t make money,” said Watson.
So, Cheryl says she was ecstatic when she heard that one of their partners, the Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas County, would receive a $1.2 million grant for literacy programs, courtesy of the Hellios Education Foundation.
“Definitely, I get overly excited. I am ready to see the dollars so we can spend it on literacy,” said Watson.
Lindsay Carson, CEO of the Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas County, said the grant money will help launch the Pinellas Literacy initiative, which will specifically focus on providing training, coaching, and leadership support for our educators.
“It really is a game changer when it comes to what we can do to support our teachers who are ultimately serving our children and supporting our parents in preparing kids for kindergarten,” said Carson.
Carson said the coalition will have a strong focus on those communities who need it the most.
“We know that when children enter kindergarten without those necessary skills, over 75% of them will never catch up,” said Carson.
While Stacy Bair, with Hellios Education Foundation, said just seeing the looks on the kids’ faces makes them certain that this grant money is going to the right place.
“The opportunity to make these investments early, knowing that it’s going to set them up on a pathway for success, is really fantastic,” said Baier.
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