Opportunities like this don’t come around every day.
READ USA’s Mock Interview Day is quickly approaching, and this is your chance to play a direct role in shaping the future of Jacksonville’s next generation.
If you’ve ever wanted to make a meaningful impact in just a few hours, this is it!
For many high school students, our Mock Interview Day is their first professional opportunity to practice introducing themselves, answer real interview questions, and build the confidence they’ll carry into future jobs, internships, and careers.
And it all starts with you!
Our volunteers consistently share how rewarding the experience is:
“It was a lot of fun and very satisfying being able to support those tutors!” –Jeff
“I was so impressed by the event and how involved the community was! The tutors were amazing!” –Katie
Being a volunteer mock interviewer is a unique opportunity to give back in a way that’s both personal and immediate. Here’s what else is in it for you:
As a volunteer, you’ll sit one-on-one with students, guide them through mock interviews, and provide encouragement and feedback that can truly change how they see themselves. You’ll also:
- Make an immediate, tangible impact on a student’s life
- Connect with motivated, future-ready teens
- Be a part of a powerful, community-driven effort
- Walk away knowing your time truly mattered
- …and receive a free lunch, courtesy of our sponsors!
Through this experience, our teens:
- Build confidence in professional communication
- Practice real-world interview skills
- Learn how to present themselves and tell their story
- Receive constructive feedback that they can immediately apply
For many of our teens, Mock Interview Day is a turning point when uncertainty becomes confidence.
Don’t Miss Out!
Spots are limited, and Mock Interview Day is right around the corner:
Saturday, April 25th
9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
The Schultz Center (4019 Boulevard Center Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32207)
Doors open at 8:30 a.m., and lunch will be provided.
This is more than a volunteer opportunity — it’s a chance to invest in our community’s future.
We hope you’ll join us!
READ USA Book Fairs Kicked Off Today!
April showers bring May flowers… and READ USA Book Fairs bring stories, smiles, and stacks of brand-new books!
Today marked the kickoff of our 2026 Book Fair season at Jacksonville Heights Elementary School — and what a joyful start it was! From the moment students walked in, the room was filled with energy, excitement, and the unmistakable magic that comes with choosing a book to call your own.
There’s nothing quite like seeing a student light up as they discover a story they can’t wait to read. Today was full of those moments, and we have many more moments like these happening during the coming days and weeks because… we’re just getting started!
Team READ USA looks forward to bringing that same excitement to the students at Beauclerc Elementary and Lake Lucina Elementary later this week as Book Fair season continues!
Thank you to our amazing volunteers who help make our Book Fairs run as smoothly as possible!
Also, it’s not too late to join in the fun! Our Book Fairs continue throughout the month, and we still need volunteers to help bring these experiences to life.
Whether you can join us for one shift or several, your time helps put books into the hands of students who need them most.
Please note: All adult volunteers must pass a free DCPS Level I Background Check. You can submit your application here.
Meet Our Teachers at Cedar Hills Elementary
Our teachers at Cedar Hills Elementary are in the spotlight this week!
#FastFacts about Cedar Hills Elementary:
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Cedar Hills Elementary serves approximately 400 students and has a student-teacher ratio of about 16:1 (Public School Review), which is slightly smaller than the average 22:1 student-teacher ratio of Duval County Public Schools.
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Our very own Board Member and last year’s DCPS Teacher of the Year Vincent Taylor is a math coach at Cedar Hills Elementary!
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The READ USA Book Fair at Cedar Hills Elementary is coming up on Wednesday, May 6!
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Our teachers at Cedar Hills Elementary play a vital role in maximizing the impact of READ USA Literacy Tutoring & Workforce Development. From supervising and providing in-the-moment support to our teen tutors and AmeriCorps Tutor Leaders to ensuring that our programming is delivered with fidelity and that data and reporting are accurate, our READ USA teachers make sure that everything operates effectively and efficiently and that students achieve their literacy goals!
Meet our Teachers at Cedar Hills Elementary below and read why they love the work they do at READ USA—and show them some love on social media HERE!
To better understand our teachers’ unique roles, read below:
Teachers of Content are responsible for all literacy content needs of READ USA Literacy Tutoring, ensuring seamless delivery of literacy content needs at each school site. Specifically, Teachers of Content coach and annotate tutor next steps and observations, model lesson parts, and provide tutor professional development. Importantly, they also audit and monitor student literacy growth and oversee student assessments, among other responsibilities.
Teachers of Organization oversee all operational needs of READ USA Literacy Tutoring. This essential role ensures smooth and efficient program delivery, from managing communications with schools, parents, and READ USA staff to collecting and entering weekly student data. Teachers of Organization also handle student discipline, transportation support, and provide oversight of the READ USA aftercare program.
Aftercare Teachers monitor and provide guidance to elementary students awaiting their Literacy Tutoring sessions each day. They are also responsible for student attendance, supper, and snack tracking, and deliver supplemental literacy programming, such as read-alouds and other literacy-focused activities.
THANK YOU to our incredible teachers at Cedar Hills Elementary for all you do for our students and teens!
Family Reading Day is Coming Up
Books, bonding, and a bit of reading magic are all happening on Saturday, April 25!
Family Reading Day, which wraps up the Jacksonville Public Library’s Celebrate Reading Week, is shaping up to be a day full of fun, connection, and, of course, great books!
Every year, Family Reading Day brings families together to experience the joy of reading in a whole new way with interactive activities, engaging story times, and plenty of opportunities for kids to explore stories that spark their imagination.
This year’s theme is Reading is Magic—and honestly, we couldn’t agree more with that statement!
Featuring award-winning children’s book author and collage artist Oge Mora this year, Family Reading Day will also include a book character parade, face painters, family activities, and ‘Dadician’ the Magician!
Read more about all of the fun to be had at Family Reading Day here.
The organizing committee is also looking for volunteers! From helping with activities to welcoming families and keeping the energy high, volunteers play a huge role in making this day special.
Whether you come to celebrate, volunteer, or both, it’s going to be a day full of stories, smiles, and community!
Children's Book: The Library Fish by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
READ USA is featuring 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: The Library Fish by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
Top 10 Finalist in K-2 category | Illustrated by Gladys Jose
What if you could live in a library—and explore every story inside it? In The Library Fish, readers meet a curious little fish with a big love for books. 
As Library Fish swims from one story to the next, each book becomes a new adventure full of imagination, discovery, and possibility. The playful storytelling invites readers to think about all the places books can take them.
The bright illustrations and engaging text make this book an irresistible read-aloud, perfect for sparking conversations about favorite stories and library visits.
This joyful book celebrates reading in the most magical way, reminding us that every page holds a new world waiting to be explored.
Parent Education Corner: What Does Building a Love of Reading Look Like?
The most powerful way to build a love of reading in our children is to read to them. Literacy begins in the lap of mom, dad, grandmother, or any beloved adult. Reading aloud to our young ones is about embracing the time, the child, and the book in an exploration of pages, illustrations, and hearing the beauty of the English language and how it works. Listening to a skilled reader while following along with the book models fluency, the rhyme and rhythm of language, and shows young readers how books work.
Author Mem Fox speaks so eloquently about the power of reading aloud to children. The best-selling children’s author and internationally respected literacy expert reveals the incredible emotional and intellectual impact reading aloud to children has on their ability to learn to read. With passion and humor, Fox speaks of when, where, and why to read aloud and demonstrates how to read aloud to best effect and get the most out of a read-aloud session. (Amazon)
Here are some ways to interact with a child and foster the love of reading:
- Have the child write a book recommendation on a sticky note.
- Give the child small stickers and let them place a sticker in parts of the book they LOVE. Then, talk with them about why they love that part.
- Pick out a few books and let the child choose what they would like to read together. Book choice goes a long way to foster ownership and engagement with reading.
- Wear a word! Have the child pin a word from their reading to their shirt and talk about the word with others throughout the day.
- Carry a poem in your pocket. Children can print poems on small slips of paper and share the poem with others throughout their day.
Submitted by Tabetha Cox, READ USA Chief Programs Officer