“Schools can’t do it alone.  That’s why The Learning Alliance, along with our generous funders and engaged community, have stepped in to provide the resources needed to ensure every child has the opportunity to succeed.”

-Barbara Hammond, CEO and Co-Founder, The Learning Alliance

The Learning Alliance provides:

• K-3 Literacy Coaches on all 13 elementary school campuses
• Reading Interventionists on four campuses
• Afterschool and summer programming serving K-3 students across the district
• Additional resources and professional development for educators

“Thanks to The Learning Alliance, I truly feel confident and ready to start the first day of school.”

Katie
Moonshot Institute First-Year Teacher

In the past year we have…

• Trained and coached 350+ educators in the science of reading
• Supported 55 Voluntary Pre-K teachers and educators with a Prevention Intervention Coach

“When I was in 2nd grade, reading was really hard for me… but after Moonshot Academy, I scored above average on my reading assessment and now I am making straight As.”

-Anouk,
Moonshot Academy Student

In the past year we have…

• Provided 4,500 students in grades K-3 with afterschool, in-school and summer programs
• Supported 250 Pre-K students with a Prevention Intervention Coach

The Learning Alliance is uniquely positioned to take best practices and research-based programming and apply those practices in a real-world context here in Indian River County. This applied research approach has allowed us to bring innovative programs and strategies here to improve literacy outcomes for our children from birth – 3rd grade.

Oak Foundation Names Vero Beach as One of Four Bright Spots in the Country
In March of 2020, The Oak Foundation published research on early literacy improvement efforts. The Learning Alliance contributed to the report by sharing efforts underway in Indian River County to improve early literacy. The report titled, Research to Action: Improving K-3 Literacy Instruction for Students with Learning Differences, named Vero Beach a Bright Spot for the work The Learning Alliance is doing to address the literacy crisis.

PACESETTER Award for The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
The Learning Alliance is the nonprofit organization behind our community’s Moonshot Goal. We work toward our Goal of at least 90% of SDIRC students reading on grade-level by the end of 3rd-grade directly and by coordinating the Moonshot Community Action Network. Since 2012, the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading has recognized our movement as a Pacesetter for our collaborative work toward the 90% literacy goal.
Most recently, The Learning Alliance has received its 10th Pacesetter Award for our innovative work as one of the leading literacy programs in the nation. Thanks to the help of our MCAN leaders and community members, The Learning Alliance revived our FACES: Today’s Readers, Tomorrow’s Leaders campaign to showcase the faces of early literacy.

2016-2017 Study by Endicott College, Program Evaluation and Research Group (PERG)
Researchers from PERG studied the effects of The Learning Alliance (TLA) Professional Development on teachers’ learning and practice, student engagement and learning, and school leadership and support. Key findings included improved literacy outcomes, transformation of teacher practice, and increased student engagement.“We were impressed with the strong evidence of practice related to The Learning Alliance’s (TLA) goals in the classrooms of teachers who had been deeply involved with TLA’s work. Students in these classrooms demonstrated strong social-emotional skills, foundational literacy and applied literacy, all of which are linked to the deep learning critical to being 21st-century citizens.”

– Dr. Debra Richardson Smith, Director of Program Evaluation and Research Group, Endicott College