Just 25 miles from Wellington, Florida, the epicenter of winter equestrian sports, the Glades region, including the towns of Belle Glade, Pahokee and South Bay, struggles with poverty, violence and widespread unemployment. Low literacy rates contribute to the cycle of poverty, making it harder for adults to find stable jobs and for communities to thrive. The connection between literacy and long-term outcomes is well documented. According to Literacy Mid-South, 85% of juveniles in the court system are functionally low-literate, and students who do not complete high school are 63% more likely to be incarcerated. Low literacy may also impact health outcomes, and the ProLiteracy organization estimates that illiteracy costs the U.S. billions of dollars annually in workforce productivity losses, crime and unemployment-related tax revenue losses.

To change these outcomes, for individuals and communities, early intervention is a must, which is why JustWorld partners with two elementary schools in the Glades: Pioneer Park and Pahokee, with the support of StoryBook Treasures, the literacy program funded by JustWorld International. Designed by a lifelong teacher, Denise Corbo, StoryBook Treasures is taught within a school setting by specially trained pre-kindergarten through third grade teachers and is built to equip students with a comprehensive curriculum that enhances classroom learning, a classroom set of book, books to build a home library collection, and supplemental support materials throughout the school year. The goal is to close the achievement gap between culturally, linguistically and economically disadvantaged students—and it’s working.

Since 2018, when JustWorld and StoryBook Treasures began to work with Pioneer Park, powerful results have been reported: From 2019 to 2022, third-grade reading proficiency at Pioneer Park Elementary nearly doubled, rising from 23.9% to 47.9%. In 2022, the school was ranked #1 in Palm Beach County for English Language Arts gains, with 80% of students making significant progress. Last year, it received the highest iReady growth scores in the Glades Region, empowering students to reach their full potential and contribute meaningfully to their communities.