When national leaders travel across the country to visit a local program, it says something important.
Last week, it said something about READ USA.
READ USA had the distinct honor of welcoming Mark Lloyd, Chief of Staff for AmeriCorps, to Jacksonville for a firsthand look at our innovative approach to workforce development through Summer Leadership Academy. As a senior advisor to AmeriCorps and a presidential appointee, Mr. Lloyd has visited communities and service programs throughout the country.
After spending time with our team, our teens, and our partners, he shared something remarkable.
He had not seen another program quite like Summer Leadership Academy—and believes more communities should.
That affirmation is about far more than one visit. In fact, it validates the innovative work happening right here in Jacksonville to prepare young people for college, careers, leadership, and service.
Hosted at Florida State College at Jacksonville’s Advanced Technology Center, Mr. Lloyd joined Volunteer Florida CEO Josefina “Josie” Tamayo, The Honorable April Carney, DCPS School Board Member for District 2 and newly appointed FSCJ Board of Trustees member, Esther Byrd, Regional Director for U.S. Senator Ashley Moody, and other education and community leaders, to experience firsthand how READ USA is bringing together career exploration, workforce preparation, leadership development, and community partnerships into one comprehensive experience for teens.
Before meeting with participants, Mr. Lloyd toured FSCJ’s cutting-edge Semiconductor Simulation Lab, including advanced manufacturing, automated logistics, automotive technology, and the nation’s first microchip manufacturing technician training program. Throughout the tour, he was struck by both the breadth of opportunities available to students and the many careers that support these rapidly growing industries.
The visit reinforced something READ USA has long believed: Preparing tomorrow’s workforce means exposing young people not simply to careers—but to the many pathways, technologies, and opportunities that surround them.
Mr. Lloyd then met with Summer Leadership Academy participants, sharing his own journey from an uncertain high school graduate to serving in the U.S. Air Force, launching a successful business, advocating for workforce policy, and ultimately becoming Chief of Staff for AmeriCorps.
His story reflected one of Summer Leadership Academy’s central (and recurring!) themes: Successful careers are rarely a straight line!
Instead, they are built through curiosity, perseverance, service, and a willingness to embrace opportunities as they arise.
Lloyd also challenged participants to think broadly about service—not simply as volunteering, but as a lifelong mindset that develops leadership, character, and skills that benefit both communities and careers.
Volunteer Florida CEO Josefina “Josie” Tamayo reinforced that message by sharing her own inspiring journey. After immigrating from Cuba with her family as a young child, she spoke about how education opened doors that ultimately led her to become an attorney, judge, and now the leader of Florida’s AmeriCorps state service commission.
Together, their stories reminded participants that while every career journey is different, opportunity often begins with education, service, and the courage to say “yes” to new experiences.
This theme again continued through to a trades-focused panel discussion with Grace Knutson, who manages human resources for Auld & White Constructors, and Brandon Cornellier, co-founder of NEXGEN Roofing. Both began their careers in fields completely different from where they are currently contributing their learnings, talents, and skills to two highly successful—and rapidly growing—locally based businesses.
Team READ USA extends its heartfelt gratitude to Mark Lloyd for taking the time to visit Jacksonville and experience Summer Leadership Academy firsthand. We are equally grateful to Josie Tamayo; Florida State College at Jacksonville’s President Dr. John Avendano and Associate Provost Dr. Tara Haley; Dr. Doug Brauer, Dean of Engineering and Industry at FSCJ, and Christopher Lee, Associate Dean of Engineering and Industry at FSCJ; The Honorable April Carney; Esther Byrd; Grace Knutson; Brandon Cornellier; and our many community partners for helping showcase the incredible opportunities available to Jacksonville’s young people.
For Team READ USA, the greatest takeaway from this visit isn’t simply that national AmeriCorps leadership came to Jacksonville. It’s that leaders who have seen programs across America recognized something we have long believed ourselves:
When young people are equipped with meaningful experiences, caring mentors, workforce skills, and opportunities to lead, they become the next generation of leaders our communities—and our nation—need.
Preparing For a Career—and Life
If you were to say that learning a skilled trade, exploring centuries-old maps, and registering to vote don’t have much in common, we would say differently!
For our Summer Leadership Academy participants, each of these experiences and more during the past week have offered a deeper understanding of how communities function—and how our teens can one day help strengthen them.
As they continued their career exploration and workforce preparation journey, our teens discovered that preparing for a career is about far more than choosing a profession.
It’s about understanding the people, systems, and opportunities that shape the world around us.
At Florida State College at Jacksonville, participants explored career pathways in welding, electrical work, HVAC, construction, and other skilled trades while learning that many of these workforce programs also provide significant college credit.
The message was encouraging: today’s students don’t necessarily have to choose between workforce training and higher education. Increasingly, they can pursue both.
That idea continued through a presentation from Charlie Libretto of the Northeast Florida Builders Association, who introduced participants to apprenticeship opportunities that allow students to earn a paycheck while completing industry certifications and building toward long-term careers.
The experiences reinforced an important lesson: There is more than one path to success!
Our teens also explored Jacksonville’s history during visits to the Ritz Theatre & Museum and the Jacksonville Public Library, where they examined rare historical maps dating back to the early 1500s, learned how historians distinguish between primary and secondary sources, and discovered how the library’s innovative Memory Lab helps preserve family and community history for future generations.
Understanding history, they learned, is another way of understanding the community we call home.
Another visit helped them further understand how they can play an active role in helping shape the future of our community: Duval County Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland introduced participants to the important role elections play in our democracy and encouraged them to become engaged citizens.
In fact, several of our Summer Leadership Academy participants registered—or pre-registered—to vote during his visit and learned about opportunities for young people to serve their communities by working at local polling places during elections.
The lesson extended far beyond voting, because leadership is about more than the career you choose—it’s also about how you participate in your community, contribute to civic life, and help shape the future for others.
Across every experience, one message continued to emerge: The more our teens learn about careers, the more they are learning how communities work—and how each of us has a role to play as an informed, engaged citizen to make our communities stronger.
Thank you to everyone who so warmly welcomed our Summer Leadership Academy this past week! We are grateful for all that they have learned from each of you.
Come See the Future Workforce in Action
For the past six weeks, Jacksonville businesses, community leaders, colleges, nonprofits, and professionals have invested their time, expertise, and encouragement in our remarkable READ USA teens during Summer Leadership Academy.
Now, we’d love for you to see one of the results!
Join us on Wednesday, July 15, at the Schultz Center (4019 Boulevard Center Drive) for the READ USA Summer Leadership Academy Capstone Showcase, where participants will present what they’ve learned throughout their six-week journey of career exploration, leadership development, and workforce preparation.
To accommodate schedules, guests are welcome to attend either presentation session:
10:00–11:00 a.m.
or
12:00–1:00 p.m.
Please RSVP to Sophia Oliveira at sophia@readusainc.com and let us know which presentation session you plan to attend.
Each of our teens will share a career they hope to pursue, the real community need that career helps address, and how their experiences throughout Summer Leadership Academy have shaped their thinking about their future.
This isn’t simply a series of presentations—it’s an opportunity to witness the confidence, growth, curiosity, and purpose that our teens have developed over six weeks of meaningful experiences and community investment.
Come meet the next generation of leaders, hear their aspirations firsthand, and see how READ USA is helping prepare Jacksonville’s future workforce!
We hope you’ll join us to celebrate all they have accomplished.
#FastFacts Wednesday: Parks & Culinary Arts!
This week for our #FastFacts Wednesday, we're celebrating two exciting July observances: National Parks & Recreation Month and National Culinary Arts Month! From exploring the great outdoors to discovering the many opportunities found in the culinary world, these fast facts highlight how both experiences inspire curiosity, creativity, and lifelong learning.
#FastFacts: National Parks & Recreation Month
Just like reading, exploring the outdoors encourages curiosity, observation, and lifelong learning—reminding us that some of our greatest lessons happen far beyond the classroom.
#FastFacts: National Culinary Arts Month
Just like literacy, cooking blends creativity, problem-solving, communication, and lifelong learning—skills that prepare young people for success both inside and outside the kitchen.
Children’s Book: I Wonder About Worlds by James Gladstone
READ USA is continuing to feature the Top 10 Finalists for the 2025-2026 Florida Literacy Association Children’s Book Award in our weekly children’s book review. There were 10 finalists in the Grades K-2 category and 10 for the Grades 3-5 category for a total of 20 books.
To view the full list of finalists, click here.
This Week’s Featured Book: I Wonder About Worlds by James Gladstone
Top 10 Finalist – 2025–2026 Florida Literacy Association Children’s Book Award (Grades 3–5)
What if asking questions is just as important as finding answers? In I Wonder About Worlds, James
Blending science with poetic wonder, this book explores planets, galaxies, and the vast unknown in a way that feels both expansive and deeply personal. Each page encourages readers to imagine, question, and dream beyond what they can see.
Rather than simply presenting facts, the text inspires inquiry. It encourages readers to think like scientists and dream like explorers. The illustrations further transport readers into the cosmos, making the experience feel immersive and awe-inspiring.
This is a book that doesn’t just teach about space—it invites readers to fall in love with wondering.
Parent Education Corner: Summer Reading Bingo!
Summer is here! We can continue engaging our children with reading all summer long with a fun BINGO game. Use the example below or create your own to engage your young children to read, read, read.
To use the Summer Reading Bingo Challenge
Submitted by Kathi Hart, READ USA Lead Content Specialist