Literacy advocates seeking public support In creating Neuse Regional Reading Council
Public school educators and librarians from three counties have banded together to create a new organization to promote literacy in the region and they are asking the community to join in the effort by attending organizational meetings next week.
The Neuse Regional Reading Council invites public participation in Lenoir County at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at the Kinston-Lenoir County Public Library and in Greene County at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15 at the Greene County Public Library. A meeting date for Jones County will soon be announced.
The goal of the project is to establish a local division of the North Carolina Reading Association and to promote literacy through the ENC region, according to organizers.
“Working with the schools and the libraries we hope to build a culture of literacy among our students, parents, teachers and community,” said Matt Lococo, an instructional coach with Greene County Schools and a driving force in the regional council’s creation.
Among other activities, that tie with the state organization would allow local students to submit work to the NC Young Authors Project. “That project ultimately ends up with a published book that the students receive,” Lococo said. “For almost 50 years students from across North Carolina have been part of this and we wanted to bring it to our region.”
Regional council organizers also hope to launch a local project for young authors, working with community supporters to publish a book that would be placed in area libraries.
The council also expects to be a presence at community events, such as RamFest in Greene County, Kinston’s barbecue festival and Founder’s Day in Jones County. “All our activities would be designed to tie the community to the libraries and the schools,” Lococo said.
Lenoir County educator Christel Carlyle, LCPS’s director of middle grades education and a member of the regional council’s organizing team, sees benefits in the collaboration.
“LCPS is heavily invested in literacy instruction and promoting the joy of reading among our students, so we welcome a partnership with an organization that shares those goals,” Carlye said. “The Neuse Regional Reading Council will be a great vehicle for involving our whole community in this important work.”
Literacy and reading could get a boost with the creation of the Neuse Regional Reading Council. Educators and libraries behind the project invite to the public to join the effort at organizational meetings next week.
