Did you know that due to Hurricane Helene, Buncombe County cut nearly $4.7 million in funding to Asheville City Schools and Buncombe County Schools in January 2025? Simultaneously, early childhood centers are trying to stay afloat amidst staffing shortages and facilities and operations impacts from the storm.

As relief funding and support reaches important stages for public comment. we are calling on our amazing R2S community to advocate for literacy and education! Local students have missed upward of a month of school this year due to the storm and winter weather early in 2025 – they need and deserve as much support as possible, and your voice is critical to ensuring our literacy and learning ecosystem stays strong.

Use the links below to read more and leave feedback about draft action plans for relief funding and education support.

City of Asheville releases Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR) Draft Action Plan
Outlining unmet needs caused by Hurricane Helene within the Asheville city limits, the $225 million CDBG-DR grant Draft Action Plan also highlights the proposed programs and activities to be funded.

Community members can leave feedback on the plan through a public comment platform open through April 3, 2025. Click here to review the draft action plan and leave public comment.

Want to discuss more with folks in the community before you leave comment? Check out two remaining Equity Inquiry Parties hosted by The People's Place AVL. Together, the community is taking some powerful first steps toward putting together a strong analysis of the City’s draft plan for using an expected influx of $225 million in federal money for disaster recovery.

Click here to learn more and see the schedule of remaining sessions (join in person or online).

"Mo Wants to Know": Public Feedback for North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction Maurice "Mo" Green
NC Department of Public Instruction is looking for community insights in alignment with the six pillars outlined in Superintendent Mo Green's Entry Plan: (1) prepare each student for their next phase in life, (2) invest fully in public education, (3) revere public school educators, (4) enhance parent and community support and partnerships, (5)

Community members can read Mo Green's entry plan and leave feedback on a public form. Click here to review the draft entry plan and leave feedback.

R2S is thrilled to celebrate the release of "Black Girl, Black Girl" co-authored by Asheville native Jorge Redmond and his friend Ali Kamanda.

"Black Girl, Black Girl" is an inspirational walk through history where families can meet change-makers like Wilma Rudolph, Mae Jemison, Kamala Harris, among others.

The lyrical rhyming text and vibrant artwork mimic Redmond and Kamanda's first book, "Black Boy, Black Boy," and bring all the magic and inspiration to fuel the next generation of heroes!

Black Children's Book Week (BCBW) is an exciting worldwide event that shines a light on the importance of Black representation in children’s literature. This year, BCBW takes place Sun. February 23 - Sat. March 1, 2025.

Celebrated annually during the last week of February, BCBW brings together parents, educators, librarians, authors, illustrators, publishers, and community advocates to uplift and support Black children’s books and creators.

Celebrate BCBW with three special events in Asheville this year!

📚✨ Join Read To Succeed for an Unforgettable Black Children’s Book Week Celebration! ✨📚

What:  Black Children's Book Week in Asheville (Featuring "Black Girl, Black Girl" by Jorge Redmond and Ali Kamanda)
Where: Pisgah View Apartments Community Center (1 Granada St. Asheville 28806)
When:  February 27, 2025
Time: 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM

We’re overjoyed to welcome local author Jorge Redmond as he shares his heartwarming and empowering new book, "Black Girl, Black Girl!" 🎉

🌟 What to Expect:

• Live Read-Aloud: Watch Jorge bring his beautiful story to life with a dynamic and captivating reading. The first 50 families get a free copy of the book!
  
• Fun & Games: Dive into exciting literacy games and activities for all ages - plus face painting, prizes, and popcorn!
  
• Delicious Food: Enjoy free dinner from Blessed Soul Food plus an R2S-style banana pudding from our one and only Community Engagement Coordinator, Toshia!
  
• Music & Vibes: Groove to uplifting tunes from DJ Duke that sets the perfect tone for a day of celebration.
  
• Community Connection: Meet fellow families and celebrate Black excellence while supporting literacy in our community.
  

Bring your family, friends, and neighbors for a fun-filled evening of storytelling, play, celebration and community! Don’t miss this chance to meet the talented Jorge Redmond and be inspired by his incredible work.

Join R2S as we bring the magic of Black Children’s Book Week to life with a day packed with joy, inspiration, and connection! 🎉✨
What:  R2S Pages & Plates Family Night
Where:  Maple Crest Apartments Community Center (20 Lee Garden Ln, Asheville, NC 28801)
When:  Saturday, March 1st, 2025
Time:  4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Parents, caregivers, and guardians, this one’s for you!

Kick back and let your creativity flow with a fun and relaxing paint & sip session while discovering simple, effective tips on helping with homework at home– from how to make homework time easier to how to boost your child's love for reading. 🖌️📚

This is your chance to unwind, connect with other amazing parents and caregivers, and build community in a warm, welcoming atmosphere—all while celebrating the power of literacy and the brilliance of our children. 🌟

Free dinner will be provided for all attendees plus childcare, homework help resources, books, and more! With great food, fun activities, and plenty of laughs, this event is perfect for families looking to make learning an adventure.

📚✨ Join Books Alive! With Ms. Ann for nightly live read-alouds during Black Children's Book Week! ✨📚

Get ready for an exciting celebration of Black Children's Book Week with Ms. Ann as she brings stories to life with engaging read-alouds by Black children’s book authors! 🎉📖

📅 Dates: Feb 23, 24, 25, 26 and 28th
⏰ Time: 7:15 PM (ET)
📍 Facebook.com/BooksAliveWithMsAnn

Join virtually on Facebook live during Black Children’s Book Week for for a fun-filled storytelling experience the whole family will love! Get ready for bedtime with your little readers and immerse them in inspiring, joyful, and powerful stories by Black children’s book authors. 🎈✨

Check out two books R2S is sponsoring in the Black Children's Book Museum. These books are written by incredible Black children's book authors connected to the Asheville area - "I Heard: An American Journey" by Jaha Avery and "Black Girl, Black Girl" by Jorge Redmond and Ali Kamanda.

Jaha Avery—acclaimed lawyer, thought leader, and passionate advocate for justice—presents "I Heard: An American Journey," a compelling and beautiful work that explores themes of heritage, identity, culture, family, and resilience.

Drawing from her rich background in civil rights law and advocacy, Avery weaves a powerful narrative that speaks to the heart of the Black American experience. Fun fact, Avery has family roots in Western North Carolina, and specifically the Asheville area too!

Through lyrical rhyming storytelling and sharp insight, "I Heard" examines the echoes of history in personal and collective memory, tracing the journey of individuals navigating race, belonging, and self-discovery in a complex society.

Watch a free read-aloud of "I Heard" below!

Download the free printable Student Reading Guide for "I Heard" HERE.

Related Posts:
R2S Recommends "Black Girl, Black Girl"
R2S Recommends "Black Boy, Black Boy"
10 Back to School Books Featuring Black Characters
5 Ice Cream Inspired Reading Tips & Ideas
11 Children's Books About LOVE Featuring Black Characters
6 Children's Books Celebrating Creativity and Imagination

Do you have a New Year's intention to get more involved in your community? To support nonprofits and causes you care about?

R2S has you covered with five essential ways to support our community-powered literacy programs in Asheville and Buncombe County.

1. Sign up to be a Reading Tutor
Due to Helene, local students missed more than a month of school. Now, more than ever, they deserve the absolute best our community can give them to support their education!

New training dates for volunteer tutors are right around the corner, and now is the time to sign up! All new volunteer reading tutors are required to complete a minimum of six hours of training (two hours a day spread across three days) of training.

WHAT: R2S Volunteer Tutor Training
DATES: Wednesdays, Jan. 15, 22, and 29th, 2025
WHERE: 6 PM - 8 PM on Zoom

Click HERE to learn more and complete a Volunteer Application today!

2. Become a Monthly Donor
Sustained giving really adds up for grassroots nonprofits like R2S!

• $15/mo. provides three books to three students each month.
  
• $25/mo. supports weekly read-alouds in PreK classrooms.
  
• $50/mo. fills Tutor Toolkits and funds ongoing coaching.
  
• $100/mo. serves community partners with literacy training (and earns you a spot in the R2S Page Turners Circle!)
  
  

Commit to monthly giving in 2025, and know that your support directly impacts local students and their families.  Click HERE to get started today!

3. Follow R2S on Social Media
One of the best ways to stay up to date on all the latest R2S happenings - from volunteer opportunities to family reading events, guest author visits, and press - is to follow us at @r2sasheville on Instagram, Facebook, X and LinkedIn.

4. Join our Page Turners Circle
R2S Page Turners Circle members receive special R2S swag, get exclusive updates from Co-Executive Directors, and attend special events. Any donor giving more than $1,000 in a calendar year automatically becomes an R2S Page Turners Circle member!

Click HERE to learn more and join the Page Turners Circle today!

5. Learn about the youth literacy crisis
Did you know that more than half of all NC third-graders do *not* read on grade level? When you sub-aggregate that data by race and income level, the numbers are even more astonishing.

The BEST way to support literacy is to learn about how our city, state and country got to this crisis and how educators everywhere are using the Science of Reading to reverse the curve and show up for students in unprecedented ways.

Stream "The Right to Read" documentary, listen to "Sold a Story" podcast, and follow R2S in the press to get started.

The Read 2 Succeed blog was a rich resource in 2024, featuring children's book recommendations, free printable literacy activities, family reading ideas, and much more. Check out our top 8 posts from 2024 below!

1. 13 ABC Books Featuring Black and Brown Characters & Celebrating All Bodies
Print awareness, letter recognition, and learning letter sound names are critical components of early literacy skills children acquire in PreK and kindergarten. This fan-favorite blog post features incredible BIPOC-centered ABC books that help children learn their ABC's and everything that comes with them!

2. 8 More Black Children's Books About LOVE
A follow-up to our most-visited post in 2023, this Valentines-inspired blog post celebrates love of family, self, and community.  Book recommendations feature incredible authors like Kevin Lewis, Lupita Nyong'o, and Ama KariKari-Yawson - don't miss it!

3. Meet Ms. Ann Davis | Read 2 Succeed's New Storytime Specialist
R2S was thrilled to welcome literacy champion and founder of Books Alive! with Mrs. Ann to the team in the spring of 2024 as our new Storytime Specialist. Mrs. Ann reads in Head Start and PreK classrooms across the county with partners at Community Action Opportunities and Christine W. Avery Learning Center as well as at school and community events.

4. 5 Summer-Inspired Reading Activities for Elementary Students
We soaked up the summer sun with free printable reading activities for students and families to enjoy over break. From A-Z scavenger hunts to reading challenges and more, there was no end to the literacy fun that helps kids keep reading skills sharp while they are out of school.

5. 5 Summer-Inspired Literacy Activities for Pre-K Students
Embrace the amazing amount of brain development happening 0 - 5 years old with these seasonal literacy activities for pre-kindergarteners. Ideas included free printable ice cream cone letters to playing "I Spy" with sounds, and more!

6. 10 Children's Books With Black Olympians
R2S celebrated the 2024 Summer Olympics with a fun post featuring incredible children's books all about different Black Olympians, including Usain Bolt, Wilma Rudolph, Simone Biles, Muhammad Ali, Vonetta Flowers, Jesse Owens, and more!

7. Autumn-Inspired Literacy Activities for Elementary Students
Free printable reading activities in this fall-tastic blog article included a synonyms puzzle, autumn code breaker, and magical madlibs! Engaging multi-sensory activities that get kids reading are sure-fire ways to create positive experiences with learning that will last a lifetime.

8. Working With Children After Crisis & Disaster
With the support of Child Life Disaster Relief, R2S was able to offer training to volunteer tutors and community partners following Hurricane Helene all about trauma-informed support for children. Our blog post from Elementary Literacy Directory Lindsey Sterrett shares key best practices for supporting students after a disaster - from emotional regulation to handling big questions and building relationships.

Related Posts:
Best of 2023┃Read to Succeed Blog

Read 2 Succeed (R2S) is on a mission to help close the race-based opportunity gap through community-powered literacy programming that engages children, families, and community partners.

Due to Helene, students missed more than a month of school. Now, more than ever, they deserve the absolute best our community can give them to support their education!

We are looking for dedicated volunteer reading tutors who are available to build a lasting relationship with a student for the entire school year, meeting with them twice a week either during or after school. Our volunteers believe in all students' innate ability to learn and grow as a reader and understand the role of community-powered literacy in Asheville and Buncombe County.

Tutor training happens Wednesday, 1/15, 22, and 29, 2025 on Zoom from 6PM - 8PM. Tutors are required to complete *all* three days of training.

What does reading tutor training involve?
Over the last three weeks of January, R2S will host training sessions with new volunteer reading tutors, exploring the state of literacy in Asheville City and Buncombe County schools and the Essentials of Foundational Reading Instruction. You will workshop best practices for teaching phonics and phonemic awareness and learn how to use the reading curricula and R2S lesson plan.

How long is reading tutor training?
All new volunteer reading tutors are required to complete a minimum of six hours of training (two hours a day spread across three days). All upcoming trainings will take place on Zoom.


How do I get started?
Learn more and fill out a volunteer application by click the button above.

Questions? Contact Volunteer Coordinator Camille at [email protected]

By: Lindsey Sterrett, R2S Elementary Literacy Director

As we return to tutoring, or for some, begin new tutoring relationships with students, I wanted to share key takeaways from a recent training, "How to Competently and Confidently Connect with Children After Crisis/Disaster." The session was facilitated by Child Life Disaster Relief, a group of clinical professionals who founded their nonprofit after recognizing the need for trauma-informed community support in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Here are some insights I’d like us to carry forward in our practices and relationships as we resume tutoring:

Our students, like us, have experienced the trauma of this natural disaster in various ways. It has been a lot to process, and for many in our community, this remains a time of uncertainty and hardship. As we get back to learning and connecting, our relationships with students become even more essential. Your time together can be a source of predictability and consistency for them.

Here are some ways to support our students in this process:

• Be present with your full awareness and attention. Many families are under extreme stress right now, and your presence and focused attention are a true gift.
• Let them share experiences on their terms. Children need to feel in control of what and how much they share. Some children may have a lot to say, while others may not want to discuss it at all. Avoid leading conversations or asking direct questions about how the hurricane impacted them. Research shows that it can take 9–18 months after a trauma for children to process these events cognitively.
• If they do share, reflect and validate their experience without probing further. Acknowledge what you hear, but give them space to open up at their own pace.
  
• Be mindful of potential triggers to their stress response. These might include rain, thunder, wind, clouds, loud noises, safety drills, or sirens.
• Monitor your own emotions. Your emotional regulation can significantly influence children, just as their emotions can affect ours.
  • One easy way to support regulation is how we breathe. When you exhale longer than you inhale, you activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which can help you feel calmer and more relaxed
    • Slows your heart rate: Exhaling longer than you inhale signals your vagus nerve to release acetylcholine, which slows your heart rate.
      
    • Reduces stress and anxiety: This breathing technique can help you feel more relaxed and reduce stress and anxiety. 
      
• Handle big questions with care. If a child asks a challenging question or shares a difficult issue, validate their feelings, respond honestly, and acknowledge the significance of their question. If it feels beyond your expertise, reflect what you hear and suggest, “I wonder who you can talk to about big questions. Is there someone you trust?”
  
• Build relationships through play. Play is the language of children. As we return to our work, let’s create space for play. The R2S resource library offers many useful resources for this.
• Offer choices in your routine or lesson plan. For example, let them choose a book or decide if they’d like to play a game at the beginning or end of the session.

If you’d like to learn more about Child Life Disaster Relief (CLDR) and its resources click HERE.

📚 Meet the Authors!
We are honored to host Veronica N. Chapman, a Social impact ideator & activator, author, and founder of Boxxout Enterprises, the creative force behind Black Baby Books and Black Children’s Book Week. Veronica is a Spelman College and Babson College alum who has dedicated her career to designing solutions for social change. Veronica will be sharing her children’s book, "King Khalid is Proud," with the first 100 families receiving free copies!

🎉 We’re also excited to welcome Jaha Avery, lawyer, thought leader, and author of the powerful book, "I Heard: An American Journey." Jaha’s work explores themes of heritage and identity through a rich narrative inspired by her background in civil rights law and advocacy.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to meet these inspiring authors and celebrate their contributions to literature and social change.

🎈 Family Fun & Festivities
In addition to author meet-and-greets and book signings, we have a full lineup of holiday-themed activities to bring joy to the entire family:

• 🎨 Face Painting
• 🍪 Cookie Decorating
• 🎡 Carnival Games & Prizes
• 🎁 BIPOC Holiday Market featuring local businesses
  
  

🍴 Delicious Food & Entertainment
Pick up a free meal from Cooking with Comedy and Blessed Soul Food, while enjoying music by DJ Big Wave. The day will also feature a special performance by entertainer Virtuous, ensuring the energy stays lively all afternoon.

🎄 Don’t Miss Out!
This is a celebration you won’t want to miss! Celebrate local authors, enjoy family-friendly holiday fun, and connect with the community in a meaningful way.

Click here to RSVP on Eventbrite and secure your spot today. Admission is free, but space is limited—don’t wait! Let’s make this year’s Holiday Extravaganza the best one yet. We can’t wait to see you there.

📣 Spread the Word!
Share this event with friends, family, and neighbors. Together, let’s celebrate the season, support Black children's book authors, and strengthen our community.

We are thrilled to welcome Camille Harris-Wallace to the R2S team as our new Tutor & Volunteer Coordinator! With a rich background in early childhood education and youth support services, Camille brings her thoughtful expertise and passion for education and families to the critical work of coordinating community volunteers.

Read below for a quick Q&A with Camille to get to know her and her role at R2S a bit more:

What role has reading played in your life?
I love reading. I have always thought of reading as the best movie. As a woman of color, many books are not written with me in mind. I have the ability to imagine people as I want them to be. Reading has also given me a love of language. I love discovering new words, and having a thesaurus handy while reading was one of my favorite things to do to increase my vocabulary during high school.

What was your favorite book as a child? What is your favorite book now (if it changed!)
I think my favorite book as a child was The Secret Garden.  I think as an adult I have many favorites. One of the books that influenced significant change for me was the Power of Now by Echart Tolle.

What do you most enjoy about your work with R2S?
Hands down what I have enjoyed the most on day 2, is getting to know the people I work with. Everyone has been extremely welcoming and the people you work with can make or break a job.

Where does your passion come from?
My mother was an avid reader. She instilled the love of reading in me.

Give us a glimpse at your life off the clock.
1 am feeding, diaper changes, laundry, cleaning the house. That’s all I do right now with a 3 month old.

What is one of your favorite things to do in Asheville/favorite aspect of Asheville?
One of my favorite things to do had been to walk around the greenway. I love to listen to live music and enjoy Pisgah Brewing Company. I love gardening, sewing, and doing anything crafty.