Our Literacy program hosted their annual End of the Year Celebration at Biltmore Elementary. The day was filled with inspirational messages and heartfelt testimonies from students and tutors. The walls were decorated with colorful posters from motivated student readers. Bright smiles, laughter, and warm hugs flowed through the room filled with members of AmeriCorps, CIS staff, students, and parents.
Duavl Reads, a program that focuses on helping students to increase their reading comprehension by at least one letter grade, provided a glimpse of the impact that the daily meetings have on obtaining individual reading goals.
Everything from poetry to singing could be found during this special celebration. Students displayed their increased reading levels by reading aloud passages from their favorite book. They also shared their personal experiences during the program and included a special thank you to their AmeriCorps Tutor. The audience held back tears as the tutors confidently spoke about how their involvement in AmeriCorps has positively changed their students in just one school year.
Keynote speaker Hon. Betty Burney delivered an uplifting message about the importance of reading. The Literacy Division director Carolyn Lynn, showed her appreciation to everyone who has helped make this program “The greatest program in the land!”
