MONTEREY COUNTY — California School Boards Association (CSBA) officially named Dream Big Monterey: Science of Reading Academy a 2025 Golden Bell Award winner, recognizing the program’s innovative and exemplary approach to advancing evidence-based literacy instruction across Monterey County.
Dream Big Monterey was born out of an urgent, data-driven call to action with a clear focus on evidence-based reading instruction. It models the potential of transformative community partnerships and integrated support models.
Grounded in decades of neuroscience, cognitive science, and educational research, the Academy draws on a vast body of evidence, engaging and empowering educators with the tools they need to teach reading most effectively, and celebrates neurodiverse and multilingual approaches to learning and life success.
Launched in fall 2022, Dream Big Monterey provides educators with intensive, research-based professional development in structured literacy. Each cohort serves an average of 60 educators from local Monterey County school districts and provides five full-day interactive sessions focused on phonological awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension.
The groundbreaking work is powered by an extraordinary partnership between the Monterey County Office of Education (MCOE) and Taylor Farms, where participating teachers ensure every early reading educator in the county has access to these high-quality resources.
“Receiving the CSBA Golden Bell Award is a tremendous honor and a testament to what is possible when educators join with community partners to unite around a shared vision,” said Monterey County Superintendent of Schools Deneen Guss. “This recognition belongs to every teacher who has embraced an evidence-based approach to reading instruction, to Bruce Taylor and Taylor Farms for their transformative generosity, to Dr. Caryn Lewis and her amazing MCOE Language and Literacy team that developed and provided the training series, and to our entire Monterey County community for believing that every child deserves to become a confident, joyful reader.”
Dream Big Monterey: Science of Reading Academy was formally honored at the CSBA Golden Bell Awards Reception and Ceremony on Dec. 3 at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento.
Monterey County Board of Education formally recognized Bruce Taylor for his visionary leadership and steadfast partnership in advancing early literacy by adopting and presenting a commendatory resolution at its Jan. 14 meeting. The recognition included a brief celebratory gathering honoring Taylor’s commitment to ensuring that educators across Monterey County have access to high-quality, evidence-based literacy resources that support student success.
