“There’s something magical there.”

Dr. Sherry Magill has devoted her career to community. Not just to Jacksonville, or to specific communities across town, but to the idea that every single one of us and our connection to each other is community. Those human connections, either deeply rooted or when two people exchange an understanding look in passing, are what bind us and keep us moving forward together.

“READ USA has its finger on the pulse of what’s important in terms of maintaining a healthy community…”

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The unique perspectives that Dr. Magill recently shared with us come from building a life and career completely devoted to bringing people together. From reviving a historic yet dilapidated building into the thriving nonprofit hub at the Jessie Ball duPont Center to providing wisdom and leadership to numerous community-building nonprofits organizations, Dr. Magill knows what it takes to build healthy communities – without erasing historic roots. And, she fully embraces how literacy is a vital ingredient to giving people and communities the tools and resources to thrive.

Because of Sherry’s commitment to community and to ensuring we respectfully bridge our past to our present and our future that she is our 2024 READ to Remember Award Honoree. Our READ to Remember Award honors someone who makes historical connections relevant to today and embraces literacy as the connection between our past, present, and future.

Dr. Magill will be honored alongside six other award winners next week at our upcoming Peace in the Pages in Honor of Roseann Duran luncheon on Oct. 2 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at EverBank Stadium. You can read more about the event here.

We look forward to celebrating Dr. Magill and all of our awards winners next week!

Attendance to Peace in the Pages is currently a benefit to our generous donors who support READ USA at $1,000 a year or more. You can become a READ USA sponsor here or by contacting Sydney King, READ USA Development Senior Director, at sydney@readusainc.com.

READ USA Inducts 172 AmeriCorps Tutor Leaders

On Friday evening, we hosted our third AmeriCorps Tutor Leader induction ceremony at the Schultz Center – our largest cohort yet!

While AmeriCorps Tutor Leaders’ day-to-day tutoring in our Literacy Tutoring program is similar to other READ USA tutors, they benefit from enhanced workforce development training. They also receive additional training to work with children who have critical needs, receiving specialized training in trauma-informed care to help a child approach tutoring interventions calmly and with purpose. Furthermore, as AmeriCorps service members, they receive training in citizenship, disaster preparation and response, CPR and first aid, and other areas. This is all in addition to READ USA’s robust workforce development training and growth opportunities that are embedded in the Literacy Tutoring program.

Upon completion of their service, our AmeriCorps Tutor Leaders will be more fully prepared to enter the workforce, no matter the career field they choose!

We are so grateful to Duval County Public Schools Deputy Superintendent Dr. Dana Kriznar for so warmly welcoming our AmeriCorps Tutor Leaders and playing such an active role in our induction ceremony. We are also thankful for Paula Renfro, DCPS Chief Academic Officer, and to Mari Ganues from Kids Hope Alliance for taking the time to join us on Friday evening!

Finally, our immense gratitude goes to AmeriCorps for this opportunity to not only further elevate our teen tutors and their workforce experience, but to also diversify READ USA’s funding. Through our partnership with AmeriCorps, we hope to continue to grow and scale our Literacy Tutoring program to reach even more students and teens in our community!

Honoring Dr. Floyd Willis of Mayo Clinic

The energy in the room at Mayo Clinic last week was incredible! On Wednesday, we had the special opportunity to celebrate Dr. Floyd Willis, family physician at Mayo Clinic, during a book release reception for his Jeremy’s Journey biography.

So many of his friends, colleagues, and neighbors joined the celebration, and we could not be more thankful for the support of everyone in that room for Dr. Willis, literacy, and READ USA. Dr. Willis has led a phenomenal career improving the lives of countless individuals, and while he serves as an inspiration to many in the medical field, he is quick to credit teaching as, “the most important profession on Earth,” which he shared with the room and with Jeremy of his Jeremy’s Journey book.

We are so grateful to everyone who took the time to attend and celebrate Dr. Willis, including the incredible Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole – who will be our keynote speaker at our Peace in the Pages in Honor of Roseann Duran luncheon next week!

Thank you, Dr. Willis, for the opportunity to share your story through Jeremy’s voice! You can purchase a copy of Dr. Willis’s Jeremy’s Journey biography for $20/book here.

Books Abounded at Jacksonville Public Library

Team READ USA was thrilled to join other partners across the community at the Jacksonville Public Library’s Book Fest this weekend, doing our favorite thing: giving out free books!

Thousands of books went into the hands of children of all ages, and we were so excited to see how many families came out to join the fun at the library. Our team and fabulous volunteers also manned the Mayor Deegan’s River City Readers table alongside our READ USA table, where we also provided every child who received a free book with a Reading Activity Guide to encourage some light-hearted activities with books and family fun. We always have such a great time at these events!

Many thanks to the Jacksonville Public Library for inviting us to join the 2024 Book Fest, and to our wonderful volunteers – Dennis, Diane, NaQuita, Sherryl, and Jeanette – who helped make it all happen! We can’t wait for next year!

Children’s Book: A Friend for Henry by Jenn Bailey

Illustrated by Mika Song

September is Friendship Month. This is a great time to celebrate everything that is amazing about friendship. A great way to celebrate Friendship Month is with a great book about the power of friendship.

A Friend for Henry is a heartwarming picture book that explores the experience of autism and the power of friendship.

It’s the start of a new school year and Henry stands straight and tall as his class convenes, a steady pillar amid the bustle. In his classroom, Henry is looking to make a new friend. It can’t be the class pet, because Gilly the fish can’t play on the swings. It can’t be his teacher. As Henry considers different children in his class, he realizes that some of them are too colorful even when you try to do something nice for them. Others don’t listen very well, like a friend would. Other kids break the rules or play with worms. Henry found himself watching Gilly in her fishbowl. Katie is watching Gilly, too. Henry thinks about Katie. The two play blocks together quietly and Katie listens to Henry and he listens to her. They play together but each in their own way. It’s just right.

Mika Song’s illustrations are simple and warm. They depict a diverse classroom of children, all possible friends for Henry to consider. Done in ink and watercolor, they show everyone’s emotions throughout the day very clearly through body language and facial expressions.

With insight and warmth, this heartfelt story from the perspective of a boy on the autism spectrum celebrates the everyday magic of friendship.

Submitted by Kathi Hart, Lead Content Specialist