School board proclaims 'Moonshot' literacy goal, highlights community campaign

The School Board of Indian River County on March 16 adopted a proclamation supporting the district's 'Moonshot' literacy goal and recognized a community campaign aimed at ensuring children are ready for kindergarten and able to read at grade level by the end of third grade.

Marie O'Brien, manager of the Moonshot Community Action Network at the Learning Alliance, told the board the initiative brings partners together to improve early language and literacy supports and noted community engagement at a recent summit: “Literacy is everybody's business,” she said, and the district aims to be the leading literacy capital of the nation.

Barbara Hammond, introduced by O'Brien as a founding leader of the Moonshot effort, described local outreach and a short documentary that premiered for the community and invited residents to a free screening on April 10 during the Vero Beach Film Festival.

The proclamation, read into the record, affirms the district’s commitment to early screening and assessment, supports policies and partnerships that strengthen language development across homes and early learning settings, and celebrates the district’s progress (the proclamation states the district is now tied for second in Florida for third-grade reading achievements). The board moved to approve the proclamation and the motion carried 4-0.

Board members and presenters said the campaign relies on coordinated community action — schools, families and partner organizations — to sustain gains in early literacy. The proclamation calls for advancing policies and community efforts that support early language development, family resources, and evidence-based programs.

Next steps: the proclamation was adopted and will guide continued partnership work and public outreach; presenters flagged an upcoming public screening and ongoing community events tied to the initiative.