Early efforts are underway in Sarasota and Manatee counties to help struggling readers access needed resources. The Strauss Literacy Initiative, managed by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, is bringing together nonprofits, schools, and education partners to influence professional awareness about literary challenges like dyslexia and positively impact families across the region.

Named for the late Patricia Strauss and her husband, Ira, who helped his wife receive a dyslexia diagnosis late in life, the initiative is providing a continuum of services for students at three local organizations: Visible Men Academy, St. Mary Academy, and State College of Florida. In its early stages, the initiative has invested $339,000 to enrich these pilot partners.