Moonshot Moment Highlighted by Town Council
On April 30, the Town Council recognized the tremendous work of a local organization that enjoys tremendous support in the community; the Learning Alliance's Moonshot Community Action Network. The Council received a video presentation and heard verbal comments from Marie O'Brien on behalf of the organization. She was joined by Eric Seymour and Wilfred Hart of the Indian River County School District, as well as a group of passionate Orchid residents directly involved in the organization's goals.
The Moonshot Moment was kicked off in 2011 when leaders from The Learning Alliance and the School District of Indian River County set a goal that 90% of students would be reading on grade level by the end of third grade. Since that time the Moonshot Moment initiative has brought together nonprofits, government agencies, funders, churches, businesses, law enforcement agencies, medical professionals, and concerned citizens to take a stand for children and early literacy. In recent years this collaborative effort has helped rocket the School District of Indian River County's ranking 26 places to 5th highest in the state for 3rd grade reading. Still, approximately 45% of young children are behind in their ability to read by the time they reach kindergarten in our County. There is more work to be done! Read more information about the impacts, initiatives and volunteer opportunities of this organization online.
A proclamation was issued by the Town Council, which read as follows:
Whereas, the first years of a child’s life, when the most rapid brain development occurs, lay the foundation for all future learning, which is dependent on literacy, as children must first learn to read before they can read to learn; and
Whereas, statistics show that children, who are not reading on-level by the end of third grade, have a greatly diminished chance of future success, impacting not only individual wellbeing but also the prosperity of the broader community; and
Whereas, roughly 45% of children in Indian River County are behind in their ability to read when they begin kindergarten, even as Indian River County has increased the number of third grade students reading on-level and has in recent years improved 26 places in state rankings to 5th place; and
Whereas, the Town of Orchid understands the tremendous benefits of reaching a 90% on-level literacy goal for third graders as targeted by the Indian River County Moonshot Community Action Network, which has been annually declared a national Pacesetter by the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading.
Now therefore, the Town Council of the Town of Orchid recognizes the important gains made in children’s literacy in Indian River County and adds its support to the ongoing efforts of the Moonshot Community Action Network to reach an objective of grade-level reading by 90% of local children by the time they reach the end of third grade.
Be it resolved, that the Town Council of the Town of Orchid, in a public meeting this 30th day of April in the year 2024, does hereby take a stand for the County’s youngest citizens by focusing the community on this important goal and the vital efforts of the:
Indian River County Moonshot Community Action Network
