Literacy Coalition of Broward County

Nancy Paull
1350 East Sunrise Blvd. Suite #118
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
Phone (954) 462-7555
FAX: (954) 462-9182
npotatoes@aol.com
www.browardliteracy.com

Year Incorporated

1993

Vision and/or Mission

Mission is " to advance literacy in Broward County." Vision statement is currently under development with new strategic plan.

History

In 1992, educators, libraries and the local newspaper in Broward county organized a public meeting to introduce the concept of a coalition to coordinate and strengthen literacy efforts. Two dozen community representatives attended and formed a core group that met and developed a directory of services. Local hotlines were contacted to provide information and referral for students and for volunteers.

Founding Leaders

Catalysts in the formation of the Coalition included the School Board of Broward County, the Broward County Public Library, the Sun-Sentinel (newspaper) and American Express was an early corporate supporter. First Call for Help, a United Way agency that provides information and referral services, and Volunteer Broward, another United Way agency that serves as a county-wide volunteer recruitment agency formed the recruitment and referral network by serving as hotlines for students and volunteers.

Early Successes

Held a community breakfast for 70 literacy supporters with Wally "Famous Amos" to spark interest in the coalition.

Compiled a directory of local literacy service providers.

Developed a classified ad campaign in the "Help Wanted" section of the Sun-Sentinel promoting literacy services in select categories (such as domestic, restaurant and personal beauty services) that continues to this day and is responsible for dozens of calls to the hotlines each month.

Produced 30-second public service spots for TV featuring local literacy students and tutors talking about literacy programs which aired on cable.

Secured assistance from the Advertising Foundation and a local agency to develop marketing materials pro bono which included full-page newspaper ads and bus signs that resulted in hundreds of calls to the hotlines.

A local leadership group (Leadership Broward) developed a brochure for the Coalition which was distributed to hundreds of Broward agencies and groups.

Early Challenges

Maintaining momentum and projects dependent on volunteer participation.

Lack of permanent staffing and stable funding.

Turning Point

Hiring an Executive Director part time (30 hrs. /week) in August of 1999, obtaining an office in a central location and establishing an active and visible presence in the community was a major turning point for the Coalition.

Current Size

Part-time Executive Director

$65,000 budget

400 supporters on mailing lists

Ten literacy provider members with more than 230 locations and approximately 54,000 adults obtaining literacy instruction

Rented office at Artserve, a local arts and education incubator and advocate.

Recent Accomplishments

In 2000-2001, the Literacy Coalition of Broward County:

Increased calls to the student hotline by 30%

Increased calls to the volunteer tutor hotline by 56%.

Held an Adult Literacy Summit.

Held a Faith & Literacy Weekend.

Sponsored its first Family Literacy Recognition Day.

Published its first Referral Guide to Literacy Programs in Broward County.

Distributed over 15,000 bookmarks with hotline numbers.

Spoke to over 300 people in more than 13 community groups.

Sponsored a course for tutors and trainers on learning disabilities.

Distributed free books to literacy providers from Scholastic Publishers.

Celebrated International Literacy Day with media celebrity speakers in literacy classes during " Literacy Days" in Broward County.

Partnered with Borders for a Border's Literacy Appreciation Day.

Recruited volunteers via marketing campaigns in print, transit and via special events such as Volunteer Broward's Volunteer Fair.

Appeared on television discussing literacy on " We the People."

Published editorials in the Sun-Sentinel on literacy and the election.

Partnered with community groups such as United Way's Success by 6 Family Literacy Subcommittee, the Coordinating Council's Education Stakeholder's Group, and the Ft. Lauderdale Chamber's Education and Workforce Development committee.

Held our first successful fundraiser…The Reader's Spell.

Next Steps - Managerial

Secure funding to make Executive Director's position fulltime.

Obtain volunteer and intern office help.

Solicit additional funding sources, especially multi-year commitments.

Next Steps - Programmatic

Expand speaker's bureau efforts with trained volunteers.

Determine gaps in service and mentor neighborhood-based literacy programs.

Work with large local Haitian community to expand and tailor services to particular needs of this population.

Identify and bring more local literacy providers into the Coalition.

Advice to Other Coalitions

Be an active participant on civic committees concerned with education and social services and partner with business, government and other organizations whenever possible to expand your reach, obtain in-kind services and infuse literacy awareness throughout the community. Our early involvement with County umbrella organizations helped put literacy on the agenda, and our partnerships with providers, business, local media (particularly newspapers at this point), has greatly expanded what we would have been able to do with a small budget and only one part-time staff person.

Last Updated

June 2001