HISTORY
In 1994, the MacArthur Foundation provided initial funding for a Workplace Literacy program in several hospitals. Since that time, the workplace program has expanded and now provides instruction at eight businesses to 285 adults reading at very low levels. The same year, the Coalition began a Tutor Training program for all literacy programs in the county. In 2004-2005, 175 volunteers were trained through this program. In 1997, the Coalition was selected as one of fourteen national sites to pilot the America Reads program. This year the program recruited, trained and placed 175 volunteers to provide reading enrichment for 906 at-risk students. Literacy*AmeriCorps was also begun in 1997 with funding from the Corporation for National Service to provide literacy services to adults, youth and children. Fifteen AmeriCorps members provided 25,500 hours of tutoring to 197 children and youth and 125 adults in 2004-2005.

In 1999, the Reach Out and Read program was established in health clinics to ensure that emergent literacy skills are nurtured as an integral part of a child’s healthy development. Medical providers at the 22 Reach Out and Read sites distributed 41,665 children’s books to families in 2004-2005. In 2000, the Care to Read program was created to train child care staff and visiting nurses in literacy strategies. This program trained 140 child care providers and nurses and distributed 14,300 books to childcare centers, children and families in 2004-2005. Also in 2000, the Coalition was selected by the Florida Department of Education to serve as the Region V Adult Literacy Center for Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties.

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