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Florida Chamber Foundation Unveils Reimagined Florida Gap Map to Unite Business Leaders Around Addressing Inequality of Opportunity

A First-in-the-Nation Interactive Tool Identifying Significant Equality Gaps in Poverty and Education

Today, the Florida Chamber Foundation, in partnership with the Florida Prosperity Project Advisory Board, the Florida Business Alliance for Early Learning Project Advisory Board launched the latest iteration of the Florida Gap Map in an innovative format that will forever change the way we address inequality of opportunity.

“Currently, 773,801 (1 in 5) of Florida’s children are living in poverty and 53% of Florida’s third graders are reading at or above grade level,” said Florida Chamber Foundation President Mark Wilson. “Using the insights and analysis provided by the Florida Gap Map, Florida’s business leaders have the opportunity to radically change how we address systemic inequalities and ensure every child in Florida truly has an equal opportunity at earned success.”

The Florida Chamber Foundation originally launched the Florida Gap Map in 2020. The latest version is an evolution of the Florida Chamber Foundation’s work to cut childhood poverty in half and improve early learning outcomes throughout Florida. Not only is it the nation’s first tool to identify concentrations of childhood poverty at the zip code level and third-grade reading proficiency at the school level, it now also takes the next step to identify the root cause challenges our children and families face each and every day.

Users now have immediate access root cause metrics and analysis broken down at the zip code level for each of Florida’s 983 zip codes. A few examples include:

  • The percentage of three and four-year-olds enrolled in Pre-K programs
  • The monthly housing costs to homeowners and renters, and
  • The percentage of single-parent households

By harnessing the power of the Florida Gap Map, business leaders, non-profit managers, and policymakers will be able to tailor efforts to ensure specific resources are deployed to match the unique challenges in each of Florida’s 983 zip codes.

“The new Gap Map changes the game for America,” said Florida Chamber Foundation Senior Vice President of Equality of Opportunity, Kyle Baltuch. “When city councils, county commissions, local chambers of commerce, United Ways, Boys and Girls Clubs, local school boards, and others address challenges with the same information and understanding, we can effectively align philanthropic business and government resources around localized solutions, enabling long-term, sustainable prosperity in zip codes where it otherwise wouldn’t occur.”

The Florida Gap Map, a project supported in part by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, shows where the important work of the Florida Prosperity Project and the Florida Business Alliance for Early Learning Project intersect. To learn more about the Florida Gap Map, how your organization can effectively use this tool to effect change in your community, or to set up a custom demonstration, please email us at FloridaGapMap@flchamber.com.

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About The Florida Chamber Foundation

The Florida Chamber Foundation is the business-led, solutions development and research organization working in partnership with state business leaders to secure Florida’s future. The Foundation’s “Six Pillars” serve as a visioning platform for developing the first-ever, long-term strategic plan for the state. The Foundation’s work focuses on: 1) Talent Supply and Education, 2) Innovation and Economic Development, 3) Infrastructure and Growth Leadership, 4) Business Climate and Competitiveness, 5) Civic and Governance Systems, and 6) Quality of Life and Quality Places. Founded in 1968, the Foundation is a crucial voice for improving the state’s pro-business climate to enable Florida to grow and prosper. Visit www.FLFoundation.org  for more information.

 

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