Last week, team READ USA had the opportunity to celebrate something very special: the first Jeremy’s Journey book release reception for a READ USA teen tutor! Ronnie Gadio is the first teenager that Jeremy, our fictional storyteller, has interviewed before, and the book featuring his life and experiences as a tutor is now officially available.
At the JEA Headquarters and Customer Solutions Center downtown, leaders from across the city gathered to commend Ronnie and his accomplishments. JEA graciously hosted and sponsored the event, and JEA’s Chief Human Resource Officer David Emanuel kindly shared remarks about Ronnie, literacy, and JEA’s community investments. We are also grateful to Melissa Ross, Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Office of Mayor Donna Deegan, who attended and spoke on the Mayor’s behalf.
Of course, it was Ronnie and his remarks that were the highlight of the evening. Ronnie shared how, using what he learned as a READ USA tutor, he has helped his father learn English. Ronnie’s family is originally from Senegal in West Africa, and immigrated to the United States before he was born. “My parents really wanted me to be President of the United States!” Ronnie joked during his remarks, in addition to, “And also, I want to speak a little bit more!”
Watch Ronnie’s remarks about ‘facing your fears’ and more:
We are so grateful that members of Ronnie’s family, his guidance counselor from Raines High School, his fellow READ USA team members, and other guests could join us for such a unique and special evening.
Our gratitude also goes to JEA for being our generous host and sponsor – without which the event would not have been possible! – and to JEA’s Chief Financial Officer Ted Phillips, C. Shay Hill, and numerous team members who attended. We are also thankful to members of Mayor Donna Deegan’s cabinet and Duval County Public Schools Administration and Board for joining us.
Most importantly, thank you to Ronnie for liberating lives through literacy in his role as a READ USA tutor and for allowing READ USA to share his story! We know you will go very far in life, Ronnie! We cannot wait to see all that you accomplish at the University of North Florida.
You can order a copy of Ronnie’s Jeremy’s Journey book for $20 here and coordinate pickup with READ USA.
Did You See Us on Saturday?
Team READ USA fanned out across the city on Saturday, participating in five Back-to-School events from the beaches to southside to the Historic Eastside – and we were overflowing with joy at all of them!
Across all of the events, READ USA distributed thousands of books to hundreds (maybe even a thousand or two, too!) students who are eager to start school again in just one week! Check out some of the fun we had!
Back-to-School with BEAM (Beaches Emergency Assistance Ministry)
At Beach Church, our team hosted a free Book Fair for elementary school students who also received free, brand-new backpacks stuffed with grade-level school supplies. Thank you to BEAM for inviting us to join you all – and thank you especially for the very kind note we received afterwards! And we agree – our team’s love for kids and reading is SO TRUE!
Good Morning!
THANK YOU again for supplying the books to our participants at the Back-to-School with BEAM event on Saturday! I love to see kids get excited about reading and they were all smiles with their choices at the Book Fair. You sent an awesome Team from Read USA to the event – their enthusiasm and love for kids & reading was so heartwarming. ❤️
Historic Eastside Back-to-School Event with Kids Hope Alliance & River City Readers
At the Jacksonville Fairgrounds, we joined a number of community partners – including VyStar Credit Union, Duval County Public Schools, Kids Hope Alliance, and more – for a free back-to-school supply giveaway alongside Mayor Donna Deegan’s River City Readers. Our team and volunteers staffed the READ USA and Mayor Donna Deegan’s River City Readers’ tables – we were the first tables when folks walked in the event! – which gave us the opportunity to give away thousands of free books, as well as our Jeremy’s Journey book about Mayor Deegan!
The kids, families, and community partners made this event so much fun! We were especially touched by The Church of Oakland’s Minister Rae’s remarks – though it was us who are truly grateful!
Back to School – Back to Wellness: Florida Blue Centers
Our team joined Florida Blue at two Florida Blue Centers across Jacksonville – St. Johns Town Center and River City Marketplace – for some family fun and school supply giveaways. We distributed hundreds of books (the National Geographic non-fictions books went like hotcakes!) while families enjoyed activities and the D-Line, the official Drum Line of the Jacksonville Jaguars!
One of our team members shared, “Some of the families that came through recognized READ USA from our free Book Fairs in the Spring! They knew their kids came home with books from us. I also talked with a few families about River City Readers. Families who have kids that are readers are super excited about that initiative!”
Many thanks to Florida Blue for having us!
Greater Payne AME Back-to-School Event
Finally, many thanks to the Greater Payne AME Church in East Jacksonville , and particularly to Pastor Carter and Mrs. Sharon Coon, founder of Friends of Brentwood Library, for having us join your family fun! Members of the church ran this exciting event, which included kids’ games, a live DJ, free lunch, a motivational speech, and – of course – free books! About 30 students attended, who all went home with their choice of free books, and our team left books for the church to give to students who were unable to attend. We are grateful for the opportunity to support this congregation and community!
Final Call for Opportunity of a Lifetime
Why do we call our Literacy Tutoring program the Opportunity of a Lifetime? It’s simple: our Literacy Tutoring program, and more importantly, the teen tutors and teachers who lead the program on a daily basis, are changing lives. Every. Single. Day.
And, READ USA provides the training and skill development needed to facilitate those life improvements in elementary students. Teens get PAID for initial and ongoing training, too!
On August 27th at 15 Duval County elementary schools, Literacy Tutoring jumps into action – and we are seeking to fill a few final tutor positions!
If you know a teen looking for a job opportunity and who is passionate about helping their peers, this is the opportunity for them!
Who We Want:
- Teens and young adults aged 16-22
- Teens with the ability to work Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays every week from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. from August to December
How Literacy Tutoring Works:
Teen tutors are trained how to use pre-written lesson plans to deliver high-quality reading lessons to help elementary students improve their literacy skills. READ USA provides extensive training, onboarding, on-site support, and resources to teen tutors. Tutors have one-on-one access to supervising teachers during all tutoring sessions, who oversee, coach, and guide tutors in lesson delivery.
Teen Tutors Can Expect:
- $15/hour for 9 hours of work per week
- Free transportation (based on need) to and from the selected elementary school
- To participate in two onboarding and training sessions (Part 1 and 2 are required, and tutors are paid for the training sessions). Training sessions are available:
- August 17 (Part 1) and 18 (Part 2)
- August 24 (Part 1) and 25 (Part 2)
- To pass a national Level II background check and drug screen
Watch two teen tutors share how… “You’re actually changing a child’s life” here:
Children’s Book: I Walk with Vanessa: A Story About a Simple Act of Kindness by Kerascoët
This simple yet powerful picture book—from a New York Times bestselling husband-and-wife team—tells the story of one girl who inspires a community to stand up to bullying. It’s a perfect back-to-school read for every child, family, and classroom!
In this wordless picture book, the new girl, Vanessa, shy and withdrawn, becomes a bully’s target after school and finally runs home in tears. Another little girl sees it happen and is concerned enough to tell all her friends, who also become concerned and wander home, sad for Vanessa. The observant girl stays up late, worrying, and the next morning, has the idea to go to Vanessa’s house and offer to walk her to school, which she does. They are joined by one more child, then another, and another, until a smiling throng accompanies Vanessa to school, with the bully skulking away.
Kerascoët’s sweet, charming illustrations do the talking in this book—no words appear, and none are needed. Each page is lovingly and respectfully drawn and kept simple but loaded with impact and emotion. Tips for children on helping a target of bullying and language for adults to use when talking about bullying with children follow the story.Inspired by real events, I Walk with Vanessa explores the feelings of helplessness and anger that arise in the wake of seeing a classmate treated badly and shows how a single act of kindness can lead to an entire community joining in to help. By choosing only pictures to tell their story, the creators underscore the idea that someone can be an ally without having to say a word. With themes of acceptance, kindness, and strength in numbers, this timeless and profound feel-good story will resonate with readers young and old.
Submitted by Kathi Hart, READ USA Content Specialist
Parent Education Corner: Back-to-School Reading Tips for Parents and Caregivers
It’s that time of year again! Summer break is coming to an end and children will be heading back to school. As parents, it is essential to ensure that our children are well-prepared and ready for the academic journey ahead.
Reading at home is invaluable to a child’s academic development. Research has shown that one-to-one reading time and access to books are important predictors of future literacy skills and future educational outcomes.
Here are some easy ways that parents can help children become strong, successful readers:
- Set a routine.
Setting routines for mornings and evenings—including nutritious meals and an early bedtime—helps children cope with stresses that may arise from starting a new school year. Routines have many benefits; namely, children feel comfortable and stable in their environment, resulting in more cooperative behavior inside and outside of school. - Read at home.
Reading regularly at home provides children with the practice they need to become great readers. Remember, “The more kids read, the better they read,” and the same holds true for the opposite effect, “the less kids read, the poorer they’ll read.” Beyond practice time, reading at home reinforces a positive attitude around reading—kids start to enjoy reading!
The best way to incorporate reading in the household is to devote 20 to 40 minutes, at the same time every evening, to family reading time. Make it part of a routine, as discussed in tip #1. Another fun idea is to have children read to their pets, siblings, or stuffed animals, like a game. - Make a special reading spot.
Designating a special reading spot for children to read with their parents is not only fun but is also a great way to create a distraction-free zone where children can concentrate. The reading spot should be rid of any extraneous noise, toys, etc. Putting some pillows or a comfortable chair in the corner of a living room and surrounding the area with books is a great way to go. - Be a great reading partner!
It’s no fun to read when you’re forced to or feel embarrassed and ashamed to read. Building trust and supporting a child reader is crucial as a reading partner. Here are some tips for becoming a great reading partner:
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- Be patient and encouraging.
- Read aloud and track the words with your finger as you are reading.
- Read the same stories over and over. Try reading the same stories in different ways, with different voices to make it fun and interesting.
- Ask questions about the story while you’re reading to gauge comprehension.
- Pick books that are at the right level for your young reader: 5+ mistakes on one page is too hard. No mistakes or only one mistake per page is too easy.
- Gently correct mistakes and re-read the entire sentence.
- Give positive feedback and tell the reader he or she is doing a great job.
- Surround your child with books.
Research shows that the number of books in the home is a strong indicator for reading achievement and educational attainment. When children have access to books in their home, they become familiar with books and the act of reading, effectively giving them a head start in learning.
A child who looks at books and reads with his or her parents every day has a major advantage compared to children who never read at home and who have never been introduced to the concept of reading. Simply interacting with books on a regular basis makes an enormous difference in a child’s development. - Be enthusiastic!
Positive attitudes are especially important to a child’s reading development and generate a desire to read. Showing genuine excitement for children’s reading skills will encourage them to become great readers. Struggling readers may start to develop a negative attitude towards reading but showing them that reading can be fun will get them excited about reading time. Great times to praise a child when he or she is reading include when he or she sounds out a difficult word, self-corrects and re-reads a sentence, or asks questions as he or she is reading.
With these tips, your child will be better able to begin the school year feeling prepared, excited and ready to get to work!
Join us next week as we return to our topic of creating a language rich environment for your child that will help bridge the word gap. Come along as we support our children in being engaged learners!
Submitted by Kathi Hart, READ USA Content Specialist
Do you have any questions or ideas for the Parent Education Corner? Anything you’d like to learn? Let us know here!