Peace in the Pages

Held every fall, Peace in the Pages is READ USA's annual luncheon that celebrates literacy and champions for literacy in our community. The purpose of the event is to promote the link between learning to read and health, education, freedom, leadership, and success.

READ USA presents local leaders with awards during the event, recognizing their commitment to literacy and closing the literacy gap in Duval County. The event also features guest speakers and inspirational teen and student testimonials of overcoming barriers and challenges through strength, perseverance, and pure personal dedication.

Attending Peace in the Pages is our community’s opportunity to be inspired and motivated to solve illiteracy!

2025 Peace in the Pages
Presented by

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Our 2025 event, held on Nov. 7 at The Schultz Center, was presented by The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida.

To our donors, partners, supporters, volunteers, and friends – all 350+ of you! – who joined us, thank you for coming to the table!

So much was celebrated, revealed, and recognized during the short time we were all together, and Team READ USA is immensely grateful to every individual who participated in our program—including our wonderful guests in the audience!

Watch the full Peace in the Pages event and read more about our 2025 Award Honorees and event speakers below.

Read the Welcome Letter from Dr. Cole

Congratulations to our 2025 Peace in the Pages
Award Honorees!

READ USA was honored to recognize the immense contributions of the following individuals to literacy, education, and pursuing equal access to opportunity for everyone in our community:

READ to Lead Award: Peter Racine, Retired President, Jacksonville Jaguars Foundation
Marjorie Broward Memorial Scholarship Award: Jennifer Beale-Collier, Principal, Anchor Academy Elementary School
Mark Landen Memorial Award for Democracy through Journalism: Will Brown, Reporter, WJCT News

Keynote Speaker: Dr. David Steiner

Dr. David Steiner is the Executive Director of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy, and Professor of Education at Johns Hopkins University.

At Peace in the Pages, Dr. Steiner shared national insights about literacy and effective literacy interventions (For those who were unable to attend: READ USA Literacy Tutoring & Workforce Development is in fact a national best practice, successfully producing proven results!). Thank you to Dr. Steiner for coming to Jacksonville to share his decades of wisdom, knowledge, and research with us!

Before joining Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Steiner previously served on the Maryland State Board of Education, as Commissioner of Education for New York State, as Dean at the Hunter College School of Education (City University of New York), and as Director of Education at the National Endowment for the Arts.

As New York State Commissioner, he secured funding for EngageNY, America’s most consulted online curriculum resource. He advises state education leaders, district superintendents, educational reform organizations, and publishers.

Dr. Steiner has given over 100 talks on both sides of the Atlantic, published over 50 papers, and edited multiple volumes. His most recent book, A Nation at Thought: Restoring Wisdom in America’s Schools, was published in 2023.

READ JAX Expansion Announcement

We are also thankful to the esteemed individuals who delivered the announcement about the expansion of the READ JAX grade-level reading initiative: Dr. Christopher Bernier, DCPS Superintendent; Isaiah Oliver, President of The Community Foundation; and Meredith Chartrand Frisch, Kids Hope Alliance Board Member.

Each of them provided a unique perspective on how the initiative evolved to where it is today and what the community can anticipate moving forward—all in all, there is much more to come!

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We are also very grateful for the gracious and inspiring remarks delivered by:

The Honorable Charlotte Joyce, DCPS School Board Chair, District 6;
The Honorable Kevin Carrico, Jacksonville City Council President, District 4;
Rabbi Maya Glasser from The Temple Jacksonville, who shared a traditional Jewish blessing for our Invocation; and,
Dr. Keith Russell from Westside Baptist Church, who also shared a prayer for our Invocation.

Thank You to our Event Sponsors & Partners!

Thank you to our event sponsors and partners for your essential contributions!

As Peace in the Pages is generously underwritten by our presenting and event sponsors every year, all sponsorships and contributions go 100% to READ USA’s research-based, multi-layered programming that is preparing the workforce of tomorrow and solving the literacy crisis in our country.

Attendance to Peace in the Pages is currently reserved for our generous donors who support READ USA at $1,000 a year or more, or by invitation from READ USA.

Become a Sponsor

Peace in the Pages