The Patterson Foundation, Herald-Tribune Media Group launch SPIRE CoLab

The Patterson Foundation and the Herald-Tribune Media Group (Sarasota, Fla.) are working together to launch the SPIRE CoLab, a new partnership between journalism and philanthropy to create compelling media that inspire, inform and empower communities to take action on relevant social issues. Initially, the content will focus on the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading.

Led by the journalists at the Herald-Tribune Media Group, this effort is funded by The Patterson Foundation and will first focus on media that inform actions leading to better outcomes for children and families related to reading on grade-level by the end of third grade. The Herald-Tribune's parent company is GateHouse Media.

"The SPIRE CoLab is an example of how people, organizations, media, nonprofits and others can take charge of their future," said Debra Jacobs, president and CEO of The Patterson Foundation, which is an enterprise funder of the national campaign and a network weaver and lead partner in the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading. "Grade-level reading is a national predictor of school success, and depth of knowledge and creative vehicles are key to engaging more people around this issue and others."

According to the national Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, a movement to ensure all children read on grade-level by the end of third grade, children who fail to read on grade level at an early age also fail to graduate from high school. In the Manatee-Sarasota region, 40 percent of children are unable to read on grade-level by the end of third grade.

In its pilot endeavor, the SPIRE CoLab, which stands for syndicate, partner, innovate, resolve and engage, aims to create content and resources that inspire communities to engage and drive change – both locally and beyond.

"The Herald-Tribune is pleased to lead the journalism effort behind SPIRE CoLab," said Bill Church, executive editor of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and the southeast regional editor for GateHouse Media. "The SPIRE team will operate as an independent news initiative aimed at providing media organizations with content and engagement tools that could benefit their respective communities."

Church said SPIRE CoLab would develop multimedia reporting packages and engagement practices that will be shared with other media organizations. The content can be customized by local editors and news directors, he said.

To learn more about the SPIRE CoLab, contact engage@spirecolab.com. To learn more about The Patterson Foundation, visit thepattersonfoundation.org.