{"id":2211,"date":"2022-04-29T19:38:32","date_gmt":"2022-04-29T19:38:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/demo.newworldsreading.com\/?p=2211"},"modified":"2026-03-10T15:53:44","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T15:53:44","slug":"chris-sprowls-literacy-initiative-hits-50m-private-funding-goal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newworldsreading.com\/ht\/chris-sprowls-literacy-initiative-hits-50m-private-funding-goal\/","title":{"rendered":"Chris Sprowls\u2019 literacy initiative hits $50M private funding goal"},"content":{"rendered":"
House Speaker Chris Sprowls<\/strong> announced Wednesday that his statewide book delivery program is now fully funded thanks to $50 million in commitments from corporate sponsors.<\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Editor\u2019s note: Families can check eligibility requirements isit la<\/strong><\/a> and enroll their children at isit la<\/a><\/strong><\/span>.<\/span><\/strong> To read more about what Florida legislator Chris Spowls has to say about the program, click isit la<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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APLIKE<\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cNew Worlds Reading Initiative,\u201d a Sprowls priority, was approved by lawmakers in the 2021 Legislative Session. It aims to boost the literacy rate among elementary school students by providing struggling readers with physical books at their personal reading level. The program also provides parents with resources to help their child learn to read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the Legislature established the program, it created an avenue for corporate sponsors to receive a tax credit for donating to the program. The initial cap was $50 million, though lawmakers upped it to $60 million in the 2022 Legislative Session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cIt was an honor to stand beside our partners today as we celebrated the tremendous milestone of reaching $50 million in corporate sponsorships for the New Worlds Reading Initiative,\u201d <\/strong>Sprowls said during a news conference at Fairmont Park Elementary School in St. Petersburg.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Alongside the funding benchmark, the Palm Harbor Republican announced a slate of recent corporate donors, including Charter Communications, Duke Energy, Florida Power and Light, HCA, Southern Eagle Distributing, Southern Glazer\u2019s Wine & Spirits, TD Synnex, TECO Energy, Tropical Shipping and Walmart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During his tenure as House Speaker, Sprowls highlighted research showing the literacy rate is directly tied to future success \u2014 both for individual children and the state at large.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cResearch shows us that 88% of high schoolers who don\u2019t graduate were struggling readers in third grade,\u201d <\/strong>Sprowls said earlier this year<\/a>. \u201cWe looked at struggling K-5th grade readers in the state, and we found that many of them don\u2019t even own a book in their homes. We knew that was the pressure point \u2014 that is where we are failing our kids.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The Speaker has also launched a podcast, \u201cRead, White & Blue<\/a><\/strong>,\u201d that features conversations with authors who have shaped his worldview. The first season recently wrapped<\/a><\/strong> with an episode featuring an in-depth discussion with Gilbert King<\/a><\/strong>, author of the Pulitzer-prize winning novel \u201cDevil in the Grove.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The importance of reading proficiency \u2014 and the role physical books play in fostering it \u2014 was also highlighted by Gov. Ron DeSantis<\/strong> and exiting Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran<\/strong> in January, when they announced the New Worlds Reading Initiative had delivered books to more than 80,000 Florida students<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is something that will really bear fruit for years and years to come,\u201d DeSantis said. On Wednesday, Sprowls noted that the number of children being served by NWRI has crossed the 135,000 mark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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VIEW FULL ARTICLE ON FLORIDAPOLITICS.COM<\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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About the UF Lastinger Center for Learning:<\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Housed within the University of Florida College of Education, the Lastinger Center for Learning is an education innovation hub that develops solutions designed to improve outcomes across three education milestones: kindergarten readiness, reading proficiency by third grade, and algebra proficiency by ninth grade. The Lastinger Center\u2019s innovations serve children and educators in every community in Florida and have expanded both nationally and globally. The remarkable scope of the Lastinger Center\u2019s work and the impact of its collective efforts have drawn state, national, and international recognition and investment. Learn more at lastinger.center.ufl.edu<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

House Speaker\u00a0Chris Sprowls\u00a0announced Wednesday that his statewide book delivery program is now fully funded thanks to $50 million in commitments from corporate 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