Our mission is to advance literacy and help close the achievement gap in South St. Petersburg, FL. SPPF was created in 2014 by the family of the late Shirley Proctor Puller, a local teacher and literacy champion. We strive to provide educational services to underserved children in this at-risk community of Pinellas County. Our goal is to offset the effects of poverty and to help reverse the poor educational outcomes occurring today. The Core Program combines literacy and STEAM initiatives and is delivered during OOS times namely summer and after-school. Our mission is to advance literacy and close the achievement gap for students in South St. Petersburg. We believe that in doing this, we can significantly impact the future trajectory of the overall community and the city.