Read to Succeed Asheville/Buncombe

Help Us Recruit 30 Tutors by August! 

The new school year is coming fast, and we have a goal: recruit 30 volunteer reading tutors by August. Training dates have just been announced. Will you or someone you know be joining us? 

UPCOMING TRAINING DATES
Wednesdays, August 12th, 19th, and 26th
6 PM - 8 PM on Zoom
We are on a mission to help close the race-based opportunity gap through community-powered literacy programming that engages children, families, and community partners.

Who We Are

We believe in working as a community to build an equitable world where all children are strong, confident readers who succeed in school and in life.  Founded by Isaac Coleman and a group of community activists, R2S has served more than 2,500 PreK- 5th grade students over the past fifteen years. Read more about our vision, mission, and core values here.

What We Do

Read to Succeed Asheville/Buncombe advocates for children's literacy through kindergarten-readiness programming with children birth to five-years-old, one-to-one and small group tutoring with K-5th grade students, and community-powered literacy programming with families and community partners. Learn more here.

Who We Serve

With closing the opportunity gap in mind, our goal is to support students in learning to read at grade level. We serve children and their families in Asheville and Buncombe County, through community PreK and elementary after-school programs as well as in partnership with Asheville City Schools and Buncombe County Schools systems.
“Literacy unlocks the door to learning throughout the life, is essential to development and health, and opens the way for democratic participation and active citizenship.”

- Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the United Nations

The Literacy Crisis & the Opportunity Gap

One of the most potent ways to support a child’s academic and life success is by supporting their literacy achievement at an early age. In the U.S., however, two out of every three 4th grade students does not read at grade level. There is a literacy crisis occurring across our country and in our Western North Carolina communities. Many children enter kindergarten already behind in their reading, and research shows that students not reading on grade level by the end of third grade are 4X more likely than their peers to drop out of school.

Asheville has the fifth largest achievement gap nationwide and the largest racial achievement gap between Black and white students statewide for all of North Carolina’s 115 school districts.
Source: North Carolina School Report Cards
Together, we can change the story for children in Asheville and Buncombe County and support them in unlocking a brighter future.

Our Impact

Donate to Read to Succeed Asheville/Buncombe

Donate today to help Read to Succeed Asheville/Buncombe support students in learning to read at grade-level through one-to-one tutoring and community-powered literacy programming.

Recent Blog Posts

7/1/2026
We have some incredible news to share: our Co-Executive Director, Ashley Allen, has been named a 2026 MLS All-Star Hometown Hero by Major League Soccer and Black Players for Change!
​Read More

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6/11/2026
To help families make the most of the season, we've gathered seven free summer reading programs that encourage kids to pick up a book, try something new, and celebrate their progress along the way! Read More
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3/4/2026
This Women’s History Month, R2S celebrates the power of education, courage, creativity, and voice. Here are 10 Children's Books with BIPOC Characters for Women’s History Month.
Read More

Read to Succeed Community Partners

A special thank you to the ongoing support and generosity of our outstanding community partners.
12 Bones Smokehouse & Brewing
15Be
Betty Boards AVL
Books for Good, Inc.
Book Harvest
Brooks Howell Senior Living
Buncombe County
Buncombe County Public Libraries
Burial Beer
Claxton Elementary
Delighted Gift Shop
Dogwood Health Trust
Embellish Asheville
Firestorm Books & Coffee
Gallery COR
The Hop Ice Cream
Housing Authority of the City of Asheville
Infinity Wealth Management, Inc.
Junior League of Asheville
Kick It Events
LaBella Architecture
Literacy Together
The Matt & Molly Team (Keller Williams)
Mosaic Realty
Mountain Xpress (Give!Local)
Nora Roberts Foundation
Painter’s Greenhouse
Rainbow Community School
Reem’s Creek Nursery
River Arts District Brewing Co.
Self-Help Credit Union
Sunstone Foundation
Sutherland Foundation
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Warren Wilson Presbyterian Church Chapel
WNC Bridge Foundation