Press release from Read to Succeed Asheville/Buncombe:
Read to Succeed Asheville/Buncombe (R2S) is celebrating a decade of community-powered
literacy programming May 1st with a special luncheon event at the Arthur R. Edington Center.
For more than ten years, R2S has supported children in Asheville and Buncombe County in
learning to read. Since the first trained R2S volunteers began tutoring students in 2011, more
than 600 volunteers have supported 700+ local students in strengthening foundational reading
skills.In 2021, R2S expanded its scope of work to support early childhood/PreK partners and engage
more communities in culturally-responsive family reading initiatives.“We are thrilled to celebrate this huge milestone on May 1st with our incredible R2S community,” said Co-Executive Director Jaimee Stanley, M.Ed. “In addition to a catered luncheon and presentation, award-winning children’s book author and Asheville native, Ms. Jp Miller, will be joining our celebration as our featured keynote speaker.”
On Monday, May 2nd, Ms. Jp Miller will participate in various R2S literacy programs around
Asheville, including an assembly with 3rd and 4th graders at Johnston Elementary School
where R2S tutors work with students. Additionally, Miller will visit after-school programs at Rock Hill Missionary Baptist Church and the Arthur R. Edington Center.Ms. Jp Miller grew up in the Shiloh Community and attended Reynolds High School. After
graduating from Tennessee State University in 1982, she became an airman in the United
States Airforce, where she put her Recreation Administration Degree to good use in fitness,
social recreation, and athletics.Ms. Miller served as Director of Youth Programs, is a Desert Storm Veteran, and retired in 2015
from the U.S. Forest Service with over 30 years federal service. Since then, she has devoted
her time to writing culturally-responsive children’s picture books, focusing her work on creating
awareness of little- and well-known facts about heroes of the African Diaspora.“The past ten years have solidified Read to Succeed’s role in supporting youth literacy in our
WNC community. We wouldn’t be here without all the incredible, passionate, committed
volunteers, community partners, families, funders, and sponsors who have made this work possible. The future of literacy is bright as we work together to unlock opportunity for children in Asheville and Buncombe County.”
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.