This story originally appeared in the February 26 edition of the Palm Beach Post.
Experts tell us a child’s ability to read at grade level by third grade is the single greatest predictor of future success, because this is when they transition from learning to read to reading to learn. However, young students in our area are falling behind in reading. In Palm Beach County right now, 52 percent of third grade students in our area are not reading at a third-grade level; in Martin County that number is 49 percent.
Furthermore, a student who can’t read on grade level by third grade is four times less likely to graduate high school by age 19 than a child who does read proficiently by that time. Add poverty to the mix, and a student is 13 times less likely to graduate on time compared to their proficient, more-affluent peer.
Throughout its fifty-one-year history, education has been a core focus for the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties, a not-for-profit organization that leads partnerships with donors, nonprofits and community members. The Community Foundation is confident that local philanthropists will see the dire need and continue to support new initiatives in early education.
That is why the Community Foundation is launching its new Early Literacy Fund at the organization’s 11th Annual Founders Luncheon on February 28, which will celebrate “Hope for Early Education.”
“The Community Foundation has been a voice of leadership in supporting local nonprofits that are working hard to improve education in the communities we serve,” said Jeffrey A. Stoops, chair of the board of directors of the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties. “Our vision is to make 2024 a transformative year for children’s literacy with the launch of our Early Literacy Fund.”
The Community Foundation’s 11th Annual Founders Luncheon — being held at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts — will honor and celebrate a number of the philanthropists and nonprofit partners making a difference locally in addressing dire needs in early education.
“Education has consistently been in the top three areas supported by donor-directed grants and has traditionally been a priority in our competitive grantmaking as well,” said Danita R. DeHaney, president and CEO of the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties. “We believe children’s literacy is not just an educational issue, but a societal imperative with a lasting impact on our community’s future.”
The Community Foundation’s 2024 Founders Luncheon will feature keynote speaker Holly Lane, Ph.D., Director of the University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI) and associate professor of special education. Dr. Lane is also the Irving and Rose Fien Endowed Professor of Education and the director of the James Patterson Literacy Challenge. Her research provides teachers with skills they need to teach reading effectively.
George T. Elmore, Community Foundation Legacy Society member, is the event’s Guest of Honor as well as the 2024 McIntosh Award Recipient, an annual honor recognizing significant contributions to the community. Elmore founded Hardrives, Inc. in 1953 which paved highways and byways around South Florida. A dedicated philanthropist, he served on the Community Foundation’s Board of Directors from 1984 to 1991 and again from 2010 to 2019 and continues his support today.
The Community Foundation’s 2024 Founders Luncheon will feature keynote speaker Holly Lane, Ph.D., Director of the University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI) and associate professor of special education. Dr. Lane is also the Irving and Rose Fien Endowed Professor of Education and the director of the James Patterson Literacy Challenge. Her research provides teachers with skills they need to teach reading effectively.
George T. Elmore, Community Foundation Legacy Society member, is the event’s Guest of Honor as well as the 2024 McIntosh Award Recipient, an annual honor recognizing significant contributions to the community. Elmore founded Hardrives, Inc. in 1953 which paved highways and byways around South Florida. A dedicated philanthropist, he served on the Community Foundation’s Board of Directors from 1984 to 1991 and again from 2010 to 2019 and continues his support today.
