What problem do you want to help solve?

It’s a question READ USA teens are beginning to more deeply understand as our Summer Leadership Academy continues—and it’s helping them see their future careers in a whole new light.

This week, our teens shifted their focus toward Research & Digital Literacy and Community Mapping, exploring how their interests, talents, and career aspirations can align with real needs in our community.

In other words, the conversation is no longer just about what they want to do. It’s about how they want to make a difference.

Throughout the week, our teens are exploring how research, critical thinking, and information access help leaders make informed decisions and better understand the communities they serve. They also began identifying community needs and considering how different careers—from educators and healthcare professionals to business leaders, attorneys, and public servants—can help address those challenges.

This week kicked off with a visit to Jacksonville University College of Law, where our teens toured the campus and learned more about the many pathways available through law school. However, the experience began before they even arrived.

To reach the law school, our teens rode Jacksonville’s Skyway from the Southbank into Downtown Jacksonville, giving them the opportunity to experience one of the city’s most unique transportation systems firsthand. Along the way, they walked through downtown, visited James Weldon Johnson Park, and experienced a part of Jacksonville that was new to many of them.

The experience served as a reminder that leadership begins with understanding the community around you. By exploring downtown Jacksonville and utilizing public transportation, participants gained a broader perspective on the people, places, and systems that help shape our city—and the opportunities that exist to make a positive impact within it.

Once at JU Law, teens explored how law school develops analytical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills that can benefit professionals in virtually any field—not just as practicing attorneys. They also gained insight into the many areas of law that attorneys can pursue throughout their careers.

Participants then joined a panel discussion featuring Missy Davenport, Associate Director of Graduate Admissions for the College of Law, along with READ USA Board Members Marla Buchanan and Ashley Goggins Blue—both practicing attorneys with different experiences—who shared their personal journeys into the legal profession and the skills and lessons they’ve learned throughout their careers.

Back at the Duval County Public Schools administration building—our hub location this week—participants also heard from Josh Martino, President & CEO of The Home Team Restaurant Group, which owns Bono’s Pit Bar-B-Q and several other restaurant concepts.

Martino challenged teens to think beyond job titles and look deeper into how industries actually function. Using something as simple as a head of lettuce, he walked participants through the complex network of farmers, suppliers, distributors, transportation providers, restaurant employees, and business leaders required to move food from the ground to a customer’s plate.

His message was clear: curiosity matters.

Whether pursuing careers in business, healthcare, education, law, technology, or any other field, the people who continue asking questions, seeking understanding, and learning how systems work are often the ones who grow into leadership roles.

This week also included a behind-the-scenes tour of Sally Dark Rides in downtown Jacksonville and attending a media industry panel discussion. Our teens had the opportunity to hear about the diverse experiences, career starts, and current roles—which are quite different from when they started!—of Eden Kendall, Host, River City Live, WJXT Channel 4; Katie Jeffries James, Program Manager, Corporate Video Production for JEA; and Natalie DeYoung, Partner, Vice President of PR & Communications for Wingard. During the panel, our teens gained insights into careers in communications, journalism, public relations, and marketing—all of which are rooted in skills and talents that transcend into any industry: storytelling and getting the right message to the right audience.

Additionally, this morning, our teens had a special opportunity to hear directly from The Honorable Charlotte Joyce, DCPS School Board Member for District 6. Mrs. Joyce shared a deeply personal story with our teens about her own father, who didn’t have the ability to read (you can read that story here). She shared how her father had a tremendous impact on her work ethic and her character, which she parlayed into advice for our teens about showing up for what you agree to do—and how simply showing up is the first step.

As an elected official, Mrs. Joyce also discussed an important part of public service: the ability to have respectful disagreement. She shared how, in life, there are always going to be times when you disagree, but you can always respectfully disagree, listen, and understand others’ perspectives. She also discussed what it’s like to be an elected official, her experiences as a teacher, and the responsibilities of a school board member.

As the Summer Leadership Academy experience continues, THANK YOU to all of our partners and friends of READ USA for helping maximize the impact our teens receive!

Team READ USA also extends our immense gratitude to Duval County Public Schools for serving as this week’s host location and allowing us to utilize the Cline Auditorium for Summer Leadership Academy programming.

Now in our second week of Summer Leadership Academy, our teens continue building more than career knowledge. They are developing the mindset, leadership skills, and sense of purpose that will help them become thoughtful professionals, engaged citizens, and future leaders.

Because, ultimately, leadership isn’t about choosing a career. It’s about discovering how your talents, passions, and future work can help make your community stronger.

Celebrating President Tim Cost’s Leadership & Legacy

Team READ USA extends our heartfelt congratulations to Tim Cost, President of Jacksonville University, who was honored last week by the Jacksonville City Council with a resolution recognizing his extraordinary leadership, service, and impact on JU and our broader community.

For more than a decade, Mr. Cost has helped shape Jacksonville University into an institution deeply connected to the city it serves—strengthening opportunities for students, expanding community partnerships, and championing the role higher education plays in building a stronger Jacksonville.

This recognition comes as Mr. Cost prepares to transition into a new role as Chancellor of Jacksonville University on July 1. In this capacity, he will shift away from day-to-day operations to focus on external relations, fundraising, alumni engagement, and community partnerships—areas where his leadership and relationship-building have long made a significant impact.

For Team READ USA, this recognition is especially meaningful.

Mr. Cost has been a longtime friend, donor, and partner of READ USA, and his leadership helped foster a strong and lasting connection between Jacksonville University and our organization. That partnership has played an important role in READ USA’s growth and impact over the years.

In fact, JU is woven into READ USA’s story in a special way. Before joining READ USA, our President & CEO Dr. Rob Kelly worked at Jacksonville University and helped analyze data from READ USA’s first Literacy Tutoring pilot. That early connection helped inform the evidence-based approach that continues to shape our tutoring model today.

Since then, Jacksonville University—and Mr. Cost’s leadership—have remained part of READ USA’s journey, supporting our shared belief that education opens doors, creates opportunity, and strengthens communities.

“Mr. Cost deeply understands that education has the power to transform lives and communities, and how higher education plays a profound role in influencing our economy and jobs of the future,” said Dr. Kelly. “Throughout his tenure at Jacksonville University, he has championed partnerships, innovation, and student success while remaining deeply committed to the Jacksonville community. READ USA has benefited greatly from his friendship, leadership, and support, and we are grateful for the role he has played in our organization’s growth and impact. We are excited for this new chapter for Mr. Cost.”

Team READ USA is grateful for Mr. Cost’s vision, generosity, and steadfast commitment to Jacksonville. His impact is reflected not only in the lives of JU students, but also in the many partnerships, organizations, and community initiatives he has helped strengthen across our city.

Congratulations, Mr. Cost, on this well-deserved recognition and on your transition to Chancellor. Team READ USA looks forward to continuing our partnership and celebrating the impact you will continue to make in Jacksonville for years to come.

Literacy Creates Access: Sharing our Mission with Oceanside Rotary            

“The ability to read provides access to all that life offers.”

That was one of the key points our President & CEO Dr. Rob Kelly shared Tuesday morning when he spoke to members of Oceanside Rotary about READ USA’s mission and impact in Duval County.

During his presentation, Dr. Kelly provided an overview of our Literacy Tutoring and Workforce Development programs, highlighting how Team READ USA is working to address one of the most significant—and solvable—challenges facing our community: illiteracy.

While literacy is often viewed as an educational issue, Dr. Kelly shared how its impact extends far beyond the classroom. The ability to read provides access to opportunity, employment, healthcare information, financial literacy, civic engagement, and countless other aspects of daily life. Simply put, literacy creates freedom—the freedom to learn, grow, contribute, and pursue one’s goals.

Without the ability to read, that access—and the American right to freedom—becomes significantly more limited.

Through READ USA’s work with students, teen tutors, teachers, and families, our team is helping ensure more children have the literacy skills they need to thrive in school, the workforce, and life.

Thank you to the members of Oceanside Rotary for the opportunity to share our mission and impact with you! We are especially thankful to Doug Brown for extending the invitation and helping make the presentation possible, as well as Christine Hoffman for her support and partnership in coordinating the presentation.

Team READ USA is also grateful to Oceanside Rotary for its commitment to strengthening our community and for helping bring greater awareness to the power of literacy and the life-changing opportunities it creates.

#FastFacts Wednesday: Juneteenth & “The Promise of Freedom”  

This week’s #FastFacts Wednesday recognizes Juneteenth, a day rooted in history, remembrance, and the ongoing promise of freedom.

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and issued General Order No. 3, informing people who were enslaved in Texas that they were free — more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021, when Juneteenth National Independence Day was signed into law. (Library of Congress; National Archives)

#FastFacts:

• Juneteenth is considered the longest-running African American holiday in the United States, with celebrations dating back to 1866. (Britannica)
• Juneteenth was the first new federal holiday established since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was approved in 1983. (GovInfo)
• Traditional Juneteenth celebrations often include music, storytelling, community gatherings, and foods with the color red, symbolizing resilience, strength, and remembrance. (Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture; HISTORY)

At READ USA, Juneteenth is also a moment to reflect on the meaning of freedom — and the access, opportunity, and dignity that literacy helps make possible.

Last year, Dr. Rob Kelly shared reflections on Juneteenth and what “the promise of freedom” means to Team READ USA. His message remains deeply connected to our mission: ensuring children and teens have the reading and workforce skills they need to access opportunity, pursue their goals, and fully participate in all that life offers.

Read Dr. Kelly’s reflections on Juneteenth and “The Promise of Freedom” here.

As we recognize Juneteenth, we honor all of the history that surrounds this milestone while recommitting ourselves to the work of helping more children experience the freedom, confidence, and possibility that literacy creates.

Children’s Book: City of Leafcutter Ants by Amy Hevron      

Top 10 Finalist – 2025–2026 Florida Literacy Association Children’s Book Award (Grades K–2)

Did you know there’s a whole city beneath your feet? In City of Leafcutter Ants, Amy Hevron takes readers on an incredible journey into the tiny, busy world of ants.  

From cutting leaves to building underground tunnels, these ants work together in ways that are both fascinating and surprising. Each page reveals something new about how they live, grow, and survive as a team.

The detailed illustrations and engaging text make complex ideas feel easy to understand, helping young readers build knowledge while staying fully engaged. There’s so much to look at and talk about, making this a perfect book for curious minds.

This is more than a science book—it’s an invitation to look closer, wonder more, and discover the amazing world hiding in plain sight.