R.E.A.L Men Read program planning session scheduled for Thursday

The Read, Excel, Achieve, Lead (R.E.A.L.) Men Read steering committee, consisting of a virtual who’s who of Atlanta business, government and community leaders, convenes at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 14, at the Center for Learning & Leadership, 130 Trinity Ave., SW, Atlanta 30303, to finalize the program, which will be launched next month. R.E.A.L. Men Read is a mentoring program consisting of male volunteers willing to devote an hour of their time once a month to read aloud to students. The volunteers are provided with grade-level appropriate books, and the students receive copies of the books to take home and potentially involve their parents in reading activities.

Studies have clearly shown that it is critical for students to transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn” by the time they reach the fourth grade to promote their continued academic success. This program focuses on second-graders, encouraging them to read by the example set by adult male role models.

The steering committee consists of Ambassador Andrew Young, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, Atlanta City Council President Ceasar C. Mitchell, Hall of Famer baseball legend Hank Aaron and others.

Members of the steering committee will finalize volunteer recruitment strategies and advocacy for the program during the group’s meeting Thursday.