Literacy Team
The Polk Vision Literacy Team is focused on improving the literacy proficiency of students in Polk County.
During 2018-2019 the Public Education Partnership (PEP) and Polk Vision worked collaboratively in the Winter Haven community to develop better awareness of resources to support Kindergarten Readiness and the improvement of 3rd Grade Reading Scores. Currently the Team is working towards replicating and scaling the well-established PEP efforts in other communities across the county.
During the summer of 2019, the Literacy Team piloted efforts to address “Summer Slide” at 9 locations through the alignment of the Polk County Library Cooperative, and the County Public Schools’ Books Bridge Bus and Nutrition Department’s Summer Food Service program. This enabled each organization to maximize the opportunities of bringing summer story time, free meals and free book distribution to Summer BreakSpot locations around the district. Currently, the Literacy Team is looking to continue the alignment of these efforts into the summer of 2020.
The Literacy Team continues to learn about literacy in our communities, engage partners around literacy resources, align partnerships toward a common goal, and develop solutions that we expect will help improve the literacy rate for young people in our communities. Our team continues to build momentum through the Literacy Directory, focusing on Kindergarten Readiness for our upcoming third edition. With thanks to the Polk County Public Schools Books Bridge program, Polk County Public Schools’ Nutrition, the Polk County Library Cooperative, and Winter Haven Public Education Partnership (PEP), our team is aligning sustainable partnerships around literacy. These partners provide resources and services to nourish young minds and bodies across Polk County.
-Lindsay Persohn, Ph.D. Community Volunteer
Polk County Literacy Directory
The Literacy Directory will provide a “one-stop-shop” of all the literacy resource providers across Polk County serving students PK-12.
Click image to view the full directory
To be Included in the 5th Edition Directory Click Here!
Web Content Display
Literacy Resources by City
*If your city is not listed please select the location closest to you.
City of Auburndale
City of Bartow
City of Fort Meade
City of Lake Wales
City of Lakeland
City of Mulberry
City of Winter Haven
Make Sure to Visit Your Local Library!
Polk County Libraries
Literacy Team
Pam Craven, Ph.D. - Co-Chair, Learning Resource Center
Lindsay Persohn, Ph.D.- Co-Chair, Community Volunteer
Kristi Anderson - Huntington Learning Center
Steve Chapman - AmeriCorps Polk Reads
Jeanette Crowley - Polk County Public Schools
Stacy Davis - Polk County Public Schools
Tarrel Davis - Mulberry Community Service Center
Sheri Gieger - Usborne Books
Marc Hutek - Early Learning Coalition of Polk County
Jennifer Kovac - Polk County Library Cooperative
Shaullanda Lacomber - Community Volunteer
Kristi Perkins - Lake Wales Literacy Council
Coleen Pizzuti - United Way of Central Florida
Nancy Puri - Polk County Public Schools
Beverly Putnam - Northeast Polk Literacy Council
Sara Beth Reynolds - Polk County School Board
Sandy Roddenberry - Lakeland Regional Health Systems
Juan Seda – Polk County Public Schools