Approach

We underwrote the creation of the Literacy Academy Collective (LAC), led by our Heckscher Leadership Fellow Ruth Genn, to create the first New York City public K-8 public school providing scientifically proven instruction to support students with dyslexia and other struggling readers, South Bronx Literacy Academy (SBLA). Our grant led to the NYC DOE providing full support for the Literacy Academy, which opened a second school in Brooklyn in September 2025, Central Brooklyn Literacy Academy.

These schools provide direct instruction in reading and written expression across all content areas. The students make significant gains in just one year.

LAC has also led the development of the NYS Path Forward which utilizes a cohort model to support New York and other states in their efforts to transform teacher preparation and teacher licensure programs to include the science of reading.

LAC’s journey is featured in the documentary Left Behind in addition to numerous news stories, including these: News12 Bronx, Spectrum News NY1, this piece in the New York Times, and this article in Youth Today.

Literacy Academy Collective | Catalytic Giving | Focus Areas