Literacy Services in Pinellas County

Mission The Pinellas Public Library Cooperative, Inc. and READ Pinellas support the mission of increasing adult and family literacy in Pinellas County by coordinating resources, increasing awareness, and involving the community in this effort.

History

Several literacy service providers recognized that there was a need to share information, challenges and resources among the many and varied Pinellas County literacy agencies. The Pinellas Public Library Cooperative (PPLC) compiled a list of local non-profit, library-sponsored and education based literacy programs. READ Pinellas underwrote the costs of printing this directory in an effort to increase community awareness of literacy needs and provide a reference referral resource.

Direct Literacy Service Provided by PPLC

Born to Read Family Literacy Program	Deaf Literacy Center	Cooperative Administration Office
Born to Read at 2nd Annual James Weldon Johnson Literacy Festival	Deaf Literacy Center Read for the Record Celebration	Florida Library Association Recognizes PPLC and Bank of America with Award for Teen Financial Literacy Program
Services provided: Referral services to literacy organizations. Provide material to parents for their children on: Sharing quality time Building self-esteem Teaching respect for others Developing the senses Developing language skills Having fun Family literacy programming; Teen Parenting workshops; Community Outreach Activities; Partners with health care agencies, school system, and area literacy organizations. Click HERE for more information.	Services provided: The program strives to provide basic literacy and communication skills to Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals and their families that will enable them to be active participants in the community. Basic English literacy to Deaf and Hard of Hearing adults and their families (hands on, individualized approach – group and individualized). Pre-GED tutoring. Basic computer literacy. Afterschool assistance. Literacy and Deaf collections. Referral and Resource Center. Transportation available to qualified individuals. Printable bookmark and brochure Click HERE for more information.	The Cooperative provides countywide coordination of library literacy service as well as serves as a referral agency for local organizations. The Cooperative administration office participates in multiple area literacy networks and committees (including the Early Learning Coalition, the Juvenile Welfare Board, and READ Pinellas) and serves as the Pinellas County contact for library-based literacy programming. Additionally, staff members provide support and assistance with family literacy programs and events and participate in community partnership building.

Local Literacy Agencies Serving Pinellas County

Click HERE for a listing of local literacy agencies providing literacy services, tutoring, or tutor training.

More Literacy Information

Florida Literacy Coalition - Statewide umbrella literacy organization that promotes, supports and advocates for the effective delivery of quality adult and family literacy services in the state of Florida.

Region IV Resource Center/USF - Created to meet the needs of educators working with adults in school districts, community colleges, volunteer literacy programs, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, and correctional facilities in the fifteen counties of Region IV and is housed within the College of Education in the Anchin Center at the University of South Florida, with the Centers, Institutes, and Special Projects.

ProLiteracy Worldwide - ProLiteracy Worldwide is a nonprofit international literacy organization based in Syracuse, NY, that was formed by the 2002 merger of Laubach Literacy International and Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc. ProLiteracy Worldwide is now the oldest and largest nongovernmental literacy organization in the world and pursues a mission of sponsoring educational programs that help adults and their families acquire the literacy practices and skills they need to function more effectively in their daily lives.

Verizon Thinkfinity - Thinkfinity is the cornerstone of Verizon Foundation's Literacy, Education and Technology initiatives. This free, comprehensive digital learning platform is built upon the merger of two highly-acclaimed programs well-known to educators Verizon MarcoPolo and the Thinkfinity Literacy Network. Thinkfinity is designed to improve learning in traditional settings and beyond the classroom by providing high-caliber content and professional development needed to improve student achievement anytime, anywhere, at no cost.