The City of Pensacola is a diamond in the rough according to many responding to a poll paid for by the Better Pensacola Forum. Could there be a glimmer of hope that, through a dedicated grassroots effort, Pensacola might indeed become the polished gem it is intended to be?

We strongly believe it can and will.

One challenge facing Pensacola and the entire county is literacy. Not only does Escambia rank as the second-poorest large county in Florida, it ranks rock bottom in literacy.

For every child who enters kindergarten as "fully ready" according to state standards, one does not. One out of four third-graders fails the reading portion of the FCAT test.

So, what is the answer?

Years of research show that active parenting and solid preschool programs lay a literacy foundation that helps children learn to read when they get to kindergarten. Reading is the gateway to the learning that follows, and this critical skill serves children far beyond elementary school. High school graduation can be predicted based on a student's early reading ability. To enter today's world of work without the ability to read well is to be confined to the margins of our economy.

The devastating result of the lack of quality, early childhood experiences for all children, both from parents and pre-K programs in Escambia County, is that we have an economic crisis. Until we implement a solution, we will continue to fall into economic despair and become a county with low-skill jobs, limited or no economic growth, and sink lower into the poverty cycle.

With this realization, a group of community leaders, businesses and residents has stepped up to the plate. Every Child a Reader in Escambia (ECARE) is making great strides to improve our county, starting with its youngest residents from birth through age 5.

The goal, in collaboration with ECARE's early literacy partners, is to educate residents about the importance of emergent literacy and to provide the necessary tools, partners and resources for every child to enter kindergarten ready to learn.

ECARE has considerable work underway:

n To improve the skills of future parents, we are working with the Escambia County School District to include early literacy awareness in the high school curriculum.

n In partnership with the Early Learning Coalition of Escambia, we are working to bring Imagination Library to our children. The local legal community is implementing "Illiteracy is an Injustice" to provide books to kids in our courtrooms.

n Wee Read is a School District program providing early literacy training to preschool teachers and parents. We are exploring ways to expand that successful program.

n A new and innovative tutoring initiative will place screened, trained volunteers in child-care centers to work one-on-one with young students. Appleseeds is a child-care provider recognition and award program that is being launched.

n Diapers to Doors will be a joint effort with the local health-care community to create additional opportunities for follow-up home health screening of infants.

n To increase community awareness of early literacy training for preschoolers, we have partnered with United Way of Escambia and the Early Learning Coalition to bring United Way of America's Born Learning program to our area. Look for billboards, posters, parent tip sheets and public service announcements.

These, along with a host of other literacy-related projects, programs and events, are working toward our goal of having every child "ready" for kindergarten by 2011.

We need your help in providing a strong work force and more vibrant economy for our future. Contact us to get involved. Call me at 686-5000, or e-mail at reeseclairen@aol.com.