(Aug. 13, 2021) ST. PETERSBURG — Leaders from Pinellas County Schools, Pinellas Education Foundation, and the Helios Education Foundation recently announced a new four-year collaboration to support the county’s VPK and K-2 teachers.

The Helios Education Foundation is investing $1 million, along with a $500,000 contribution from the Pinellas Education Foundation, totaling $1.5 million to form the Pinellas Early Literacy Initiative.

Through the initiative, school-based teams of principals, assistant principals, and literacy will participate in a monthly literacy cohort, Communities of Practice, led by the University of Florida’s Lastinger Center to implement evidence-based literacy instruction from the Instruction and Intervention modules. Teachers will be receiving coaching support throughout the process as well. PCS recently began a three-year strategic partnership with the Lastinger Center. The Initiative is also supported by Community Foundation of Tampa Bay, Consortium of Florida Education Foundations, Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg, and the Riley Education Foundation. (Continue Reading)