One Month & Counting: Have You Saved Your Seat?

 

READ USA’s 2025 Peace in the Pages event, presented by The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida, is less than a month away!

Have you reserved your seat yet?

Our supporters who donate $1,000 a year or more to READ USA are invited as our guests to Peace in the Pages and will receive communications about their seats soon.

However, if you are not currently a READ USA donor, you can also save your seat at Peace in the Pages, taking place on Friday, Nov. 7, by donating $150 today!

Because of the generosity of The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida, our presenting sponsor, and our event partners, the cost of the luncheon is fully underwritten, so 100% of your donation is tax-deductible because it all goes directly to READ USA’s mission!

Click here to make your donation today and reserve your seat at Peace in the Pages! If you would like to reserve multiple seats, please email joe@readusainc.com for support.

Reminder: READ USA supporters who donate $1,000 or more do not need to make an additional donation; donors will receive seating information from us soon!

Thank you to our Presenting Sponsor, The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida, and our event partners, Kids Hope Alliance, Duval County Public Schools, and STEM2 Hub, for helping make this year’s event possible! 

If you have any questions about Peace in the Pages, please contact joe@readusainc.com.

STEM Takes Center Stage During School Tour 

Students from Biscayne Elementary Leadership Academy and Smart Pope Livingston Elementary had the opportunity to immerse themselves in all-things-STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) last week at the Young Men’s and Young Women’s Leadership Academy at Eugene J. Butler!

 

 

 

Team READ USA joined STEM2 Hub and school staff to provide 80 fifth graders with free books—all STEM-focused, of course!—and some hands-on fun as they visited the Young Men’s and Young Women’s Leadership Academy at Eugene J. Butler on Friday.

 

The purpose of the visit was to tour the school, meet the teachers and students, and participate in STEM-focused activities, including a Gravity Investigation, Probability with UNO, and computer lab activities.

 

 

The Falcons (students who currently attend the Young Men’s and Young Women’s Leadership Academy) did a fantastic job of showing the up-and-coming middle schoolers around! Team READ USA was grateful for the opportunity to participate, support the students and teachers, and of course – give out free books!

 

Thank you to the leadership at the Young Men’s and Young Women’s Leadership Academy and Duval County Public Schools for the invitation to attend!

Dr. Kelly Joins West Jacksonville Rotary Club  

Our President & CEO Dr. Rob Kelly has officially become a member of the Rotary Club of West Jacksonville!

 

 

“Rotary’s mission is so closely aligned with our work at READ USA and with my personal belief that, when we come together around a community goal or need, we can create lasting change,” shared Dr. Kelly. “For us at READ USA, that lasting change is directly reflected in our organization’s mission to ensure that every child and teen reads on grade level and is prepared to succeed in the workforce and beyond. This is precisely why we do the work we do.”

 

Dr. Kelly joins a global network of 1.2 million other Rotarians, who are all “…neighbors, friends, leaders, and problem-solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.”

 

Additionally, Rotarians encourage and foster high ethical standards in all professions, the advancement of international understanding and goodwill, and the “application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business, and community life,” among other areas. You can read more about the West Jacksonville Rotary Club here.  

 

Congratulations to Dr. Kelly for joining this highly esteemed organization!

Duval Schools Wants to Hear Your Voice!

On Monday, Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) released a Districtwide Survey, inviting families, students, staff, and community members to share their voices. To use DCPS’ phrase, “Stronger Schools Start with Your Voice” – and we couldn’t agree more!

 

Image provided by DCPS.

 

The survey takes just a few minutes to complete and “will help guide how DCPS serves our students and families,” according to DCPS. The survey is open until Oct. 21.

 

As a DCPS partner, we wanted to share the survey with our READ USA friends, so take the survey today and make sure your voice is heard!

Children’s Book: School Bus Safety by Becky Coyle  

Illustrated by Juanbjuan Oliver and Elmira Eskandari

Becky Coyle’s School Bus Safety is a standout resource for young students, especially during Bus Safety Week – coming up soon! – as it turns essential safety lessons into a fun and memorable experience.

School Bus Safety isn’t just for kindergartners. Its blend of catchy rhymes, vivid illustrations, and expert-backed guidance makes it a versatile tool—from early readers through upper elementary and beyond.

Sing-song rhymes simplify complex safety rules, helping younger children commit them to memory and providing older students with a quick, engaging refresher. The story follows Nina’s first bus ride, showing scenarios (running late, forgetting to look both ways, etc.) that even older students remember from their own experiences.

Juanbjuan Oliver’s and Elmira Eskandari’s colorful artwork brings every safety tip to life, so visual learners from Pre-K through fifth grade can instantly grasp key behaviors.

As we recognize School Bus Safety Week during the week of October 19^th, please use this excellent resource to foster a love of reading and school routines by combining high-energy storytelling with practical life skills that help reduce anxiety for first-time riders.

 

Submitted by Melanie Poag, READ USA Content Assistant