Contact Us Take The Pledge      
Transforming a Generation: 90% Literacy by Third Grade
Join the others who have taken the pledge:
Tracey Barker, Kim Klaus, Devi Maharajh, Jayne Becker, mardy hall, Autumn Wheeler, Cheryl Gondek, Edward Shanaphy, Narda Pitkethly, Lisa McFaland, Guillermina Walker, allene moorehead, Linda Condit, Bill McMullen, Lucy Roy-Delapaz, JOY VANHORN, sabrina fraga, Fellsmere Police Department FPD, Kerilyn Ngom, Dr. Connie Proskovec, Margaret Autullo, Erin Hollander, Gloria Luna, Tessa Stanley, ISABELLA LAGGES, Gina Sultaire, Gifford Youth Activity Center, Gabrielle Wagner, Bruce Green, Alaina McCloud, Christina Lindgren, Dr. David Christiansen, Liz Tetreault, -1' 1, Maria Ortiz, Elias Medina, Leslie Connelly, Carolina Rojas, Amber Petry, Jeff Miller, Sterling Bobbitt , Lisa Segroves, Susan Del Tufo, Angel Maldonado, FRAN PERKINS, Arianna Lagges, Ashley Farruggio, Matt McManus, 211/Help Me Grow, Laurie Pedersen, TLA, JIM BATORY, matt KdPIOvmNNItBy, The Buggy Bunch, Carla Cundiff, sharon butler, buzz wurzer, Sandra Daniel, Kevin Maloney, Adam Faust, Lillian Marsiglia, Sonja Phillips, Barneyxcq yWxcSpFGWvTabbVDxz, Shariea Shoatz, Amanda Stevens, Paige Newinski, Sherry White, Lisa Bishop, Ramon Echeverria, Jennifer Durrett, ggdxfg fdgfh, Sherrie Hale, Sara Goodman, Cathryn Miquelon, Nancy Prizito, Rhonda McGilberry, Jeff The Bro, Andrea Cosner, Pamela Miller, Mark yBzNyaFpSKdSM, Healthy Families, Teri Dugan, Angela Jawhar, Emme Scheible, Nancy De La Hoz, F.A.C.T. Fellsmere Action Community Team, Crystal Gothe, Diane Mahan, Emily Jarrett, Marta Cronin, mary kannapes, Rebecca Blair, Amy Speak, shelby dorris, Debra Schroeder, jennifer jackson, Nicolas ospina de la hoz, Gisele Parker, Patricia Beaudoin, Kelly Sartain, carrie fernandez, Joy Lukomski, Teri Dugan, Tina Campbell, Donna Hedgecock, Elizabeth Pinkney, Jody Houston, Kidz Closet Charities, Dorie Shemo, Emily Wick, Jill Truax, Raquel Searcy, Christy Baer, Kathryn Perez, Linda Hammerle, Hayley Gondek, Boys & Girls Clubs of Indian River County, Lenora Ritchie, Vero Beach Magazine, Doug Glenn, Lilibeth Ballina, Nancy Blessing, joshua poindexter, Christopher Cummings, Deborah Dillon, Shawna Carton, 1 1, Ralph Sunshine Acquisitions, Christina Lindgren, Mary Laquidara, Brittany Lindsey, Janet Alford, Bridgette Diskin, Margaret Dawson-Brown, Vero Equine Riding Academy , Nancy Sparkman, Tara Luton , 1 -1', Samantha Breen, sharon richards, Thomas Moore, mardy hall, Kristi Challenor, Erica Thomas, Tammy Eriksen, Amanda Emanuel, Indian River County Lawyers Auxiliary, Kristina Trahan, Ann Mathis, GoldenTabs VlNDAmqBXuOUgPSzn, Natalie Arbuckle, maria marron, United Way of Indian River Co., Karen Taylor, Katrena McMahan, Carrie Spencer, Clare Hughes, Mindy Lessem Pollack, Fidelity Investments, Jennifer Croom, tommy collettit, Lisa Guilmette, Wendi Adams, Dee Hollenbeck, Kelly Palmer, Gloria Severino, Lydia Galbraith, Michelle Bass, Heather Quigley, Mardy Fish Children's Foundation, Elizabeth Pinkney, Angela Bosman, Nichole Harris, Celeste McWilliams, Mary Ann Kalin, Jennifer Steele, AmeriCorps/Big Brothers Big Sister, Kim Klaus, parker hammond, FELLSMERE ELEMENTARY, DOE-OEL, Mary Strickler, Kirra OBrien, Courtney Mellin, Amanda Acker, Helene Caseltine, Jessica Cox, Emilia Jacobs, Heidi Lourie, Sandy Hamrick, LaTanya Morgan, Rebecca Turner, Renee Boesch, LaTanya Morgan, Indian River County Chamber of, Susan Aguirre , maria miranda, Debra Barnesd, jacki decaro, kelly baysura, Leslie Jones, Michelle Chandler, Karen Malits, Annie Brown, Mary Kramek, STEPHANIE CLARK, Elizabeth Tetreault, Stacey Klim, audrey colonna, Louis and Sara Smith, Milli Wenzel, VBKA, Susan Rosier, valerie conway, LaTanya Gibson, Sophie Wood, Milli Wenzel, Kristen Jones, Indian River Taekwondo Langlois, Janai Cooper, judy jones, Kelly Palmer, Fenia Hiaasen, Cathy Durrett-Filusch, Dasie Hope Center, hannah kauferh, Melinda Judson, Karen Newkirk, ann prince, Kaori Fischer, Kristin Culbreth, Casey Dunn, Kim Brady, Ramon Echeverria, Michele Sternberg, Hollie McDougall, donna palmquist, Tiffany Justice, cheryl gondek, Janet Farmer, Diane Bressner, Patricia Mandell, Brenda Zamora, Nate & Kristen Bruckner, Helene Caseltine, Shanti Sanchez, Achillies Pace, Becky Warren, Literacy Services, Pamela Prange, Teri Barenborg, liz woody, Growing Healthy Kids, Inc., Lesley Lane, Kelley Williams, Di Pugh, Fidelity Investments, Tessa House, Amy Kelly, Judy Whalen, yaquelin andrade, MAry Grace Hektner, JIM BATORY, Susan Del Tufo, Deirdre Creech, Rachel Holpfer, Jennifer Seifstein, Kathryn Woodall, Susan Rosier, Arlene Kahn, Maureen Nicolace, Mark Farrell, ruth darrigo, Gretchen DiVincenzo, Brooke Flood, Traci McGough, Patricia Mandell, Barbara Johnson, Christy Baer , Tirso Moreno, Marsha Van Arman, East Coast Earthworks & Excavating, -1' 1, Kayla Chitty, Kay Yurigan, Jamie Stalter, Bent Pine Golf Club, Mari Seg, Tara Miranda, Tanya BRAUN, Sue Sharpe, Isabel Marron , Robyn Bethel, Megan Falcone, kayla poindexter, Kaori Fischer, Michele Smith, Marisela Luna, Agnieszka Szymanska, Heidi Lourie, Sharon Klein, Krishna Patel, Susan Del Tufo, Jeanne Prince, keesha trusty, Shannon Gillen, tommy collettit, Hope Woodhouse , Vero Beach Museum of Art, Kathy Minix, Patrick Toole, Mary Graves, Melody M Englert, Tabitha Johnston, Megan Falcone, Renee Lincoln, Heather Young, Lorri Dior, Stacey Fletcher, shelby dorris, Lisa Wheeler, Juelie Perry, Suzi Rusin, renee fraker, Kenny Carmichael, Page Woodward, Phoebe Beacham, Liane McMullen, yaquelin andrade, Karen Newkirk, Cynthia Jorgensen, Christina Hayes, Annie Brown, Kelli Mejia, janice pagan, Sharon Klein, Kathleen Hamilton, Sharon Klein, John obrien, Ralph Autullo, Harvest Food & Outreach Center, Susan Del Tufo, jorge luis ramirez, Dean Stewart Photography, Laura McGill, Lisa Barnum, Beth Livers, Taylor Walker, Becky Allen, Sharon Delo, Jenna Chatfield, Katherine Wolf, Chuck Evans, Matthew McManus, elizabeth bahl, Randall Hunt, Bobbie Donelson, Janie Graves Hoover, Nicole Piontek, Socorro Luna, Christine Sturgeon, Whole Child Indian River, Vero Beach Museum of Art, audrey colonna, Tiffany Carlsen, Angel Maldonado, Dorie Shemo, Kerilyn Ngom, Therese Victoria, Keondra Eberhardt, Cindi Ellis, Christine Ryall, test test, Elaine McGinty, Ana Renuart, Ronda Weaver, briana carter, Theresa Wagner, kari broomell, Rhonda McGilberry, charlene bentien, Keith Touchberry, Brittany Bailey, jennifer roker, 1 1, Ramon Echeverria, Laura Zorc, Mary Anne Sitkowski, Lisa Guillette, belinda washimgton-davis, Becky Levesque, Yasmin Medina, Kelli Mejia, Nancy De La Hoz, Heather Helton, Michael Van Houten, Maria Alvarez, Diane Donar, Dorothy Cominsky, Jennifer Roberts, Marie OBrien, Donna Hedgecock, Elizabeth Stenger, Kimberly Robideau, 1 -1', hannah kaufeh, Alejandrina Micket, Isabel Marron , Katie Collier, uritayay, Vero Beach Police Department, Tisa Blidgen, Lori Nalls, Fourth Quadrant Partners, Elizabeth Falkiewicz, Andrea Cosner, Toni Reukauf, Mike Gaudio, Heather Thompson, Melissa Hall, Clare Hughes, Carol David, Annie Brown, SHARYN A HAWKER, Nancy Blessing, Susan Rosier, GEORGE JETT, Farrah Lemanski, Rose Brickles, Heather Thompson, Tami Haffield, Karen Disney, Tricia Boyle, Kathleen Nealy,

Read for the Record

Indian River County joined the world’s largest shared reading experience on Nov. 7, as more than 8,000 local children and adults joined more than two million others to read the same book as part of JumpStart’s 14th annual Read for the Record to highlight the importance of building early literacy and language skills. The county-wide event was coordinated by The Learning Alliance, the managing partner of the Moonshot Moment Literacy Movement.

The book, “Thank you, Omu!” by Oge Mora, tells the story of a community celebrating their connection through food. “Like the story, our Moonshot Community is about connecting and supporting one another. It's about coming together to take a stand for children and early education. We do this in service of the Moonshot goal which recognizes literacy as the gateway to our community’s prosperity,” said Marie O’Brien, TLA's Manager of Moonshot Outreach.

During the one-day Moonshot Big Read the book was read in elementary schools across the county and at Moonshot partner sites, including Dasie Bridgewater Hope, Kindergarten Readiness Collaborative Family Centers in Gifford and Fellsmere, at Childcare Resources and the Indian River County Library.

Literacy Services tutors and community guest speakers read at schools, Big Brothers Big Sisters, in VPK classrooms and the RCMA. Shanti Sanchez hosted several school groups for a reading of the book and art activity at the Vero Beach Museum of Art.

The idea behind Read for the Record is to bring together millions of people to highlight the importance of building early literacy and language skills for every child so that all children have the opportunity to enter kindergarten prepared to succeed.

“Another happy coincidence was that the Big Read coincided with the Samaritan Center’s annual Soup Bowl,” noted O’Brien. “It was the perfect day for folks to share this story over a bowl of soup and really brought home the message of the power of community – whether people come together to improve children’s literacy or to help the homeless – we’re always more powerful when we work together.”

“It was a pleasure to read this book at our 2019 Soup Bowl event,” said Gail Giarrusso, a volunteer at St. John of the Cross of the approximately 200 visitors to that location. “Although many of our guests were older, it touched many hearts. The generosity, as shown in this beautiful story, continues to be spread. May this and every generation be blessed with the lessons learned.”

The Learning Alliance’s Moonshot Reading Rocket made stops at several Treasure Coast Community Health locations in Vero Beach and Sebastian spreading the word that, literacy matters. Passersby participated in the creation of a community mural and dropped notes into Thank You! jars sharing what they are thankful for.

The final stop of the day was in partnership with the Marian Fell Library, where children and families gathered for a pizza party, signed up for library cards, played games, and enjoyed a reading of “Thank You Omu!” by Patti Fuchs, Indian River County Library children’s librarian.