Approach
Literacy Academy Collective
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. Our grant led to the NYC DOE providing full support for the Literacy Academy, which now has its first P.S. school in the South Bronx, fully funded by New York City. Following our funding, LAC received substantial funding from other private funders and opened a school in Brooklyn in September 2025.
This school provides direct instruction in reading and written expression across all content areas. In its first year of operation students made significant gains, including 1.15 years worth of progress in foundational reading skills over the course of the year.
The Literacy Academy is working closely with the renowned Winward Institute – a leading expert in providing evidence-based instruction to students with dyslexia and other language-based learning disabilities.
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.
