Mission

Mid South Reads is a unique partnership of the University of Memphis and the Mid South Reads coalition of literacy advocates. Mid South Reads exists to combine the expertise of these partners so as to empower, develop and unify literacy efforts within the Mid South and maximize the efficacy of services to all segments of our community.

Mid South Reads, using both community and university resources, provides services, research and professional development opportunities to assist in creating and maintaining environments where learning happens. These collaborative efforts increase community awareness and participation in literacy services and positively impact our quality of life.

Goals

We will maximize the collaboration and effectiveness of literacy services by:
   • Providing learning opportunities.
   • Creating public awareness of literacy issues.
   • Providing information and referrals for assistance.
   • Raising funds to support our mission, goals and service.
   • Coordinating professional development and research opportunities in literacy 
      through the University of Memphis.
   • Advocating for literacy by organizing community resources.
   • Serving as a catalyst for positive systemic change in attitudes toward reading 
     and learning.
   • Identifying and acting proactively regarding emerging community literacy and
     reading concerns.


Board of Directors

Mid South Reads Coalition

The Mid South Reads Coalition is a partnership among public, private, parochial and higher education schools, the public library system, corporations, non-profits and private citizens. Its members are among those listed under Literacy Organizations. The Mid South Reads Coalition meets on the third Thursday of each month at 3:00p.m. at The Assisi Foundation, 515 Erin Drive.

The Mid South Reads Coalition functions as a community board for Mid South Reads. The meetings include:
   • Examining literacy as a whole in the Mid South.
   • Creating opportunities for students, parents, and teachers to demonstrate the
      power of reading
   • Sponsoring It’s Time to Read Month, which includes the development of
     curriculum-based support activities for parents, children, and educators.

Greater Memphis is a reading community because we can all read, read with or read to someone. We promote the power, importance and enjoyment of reading. To sign up for The Mid South Reads Coalition listserv, receive information about literacy happenings in the Mid South, and obtain more meeting information, send an email message to:
                                         midsouthreads@memphis.edu

Area Served

Mid South Reads' History

Since 1998, The Assisi Foundation has served as the principle catalyst in bringing together representatives from businesses, education, and community agencies to form and strengthen the “It’s Time to Read” Coalition.  It’s Time to Read addressed a 1997 national challenge by America Reads.  In May of 2003, the Mid South Reading Alliance, Inc. was formed creating a partnership between the Mid South Reads (MSR) Coalition and the University of Memphis with the vision of…Greater Memphis-A Reading Community.

 The MSR Coalition of over 70 member agencies, businesses, and educational systems have joined together to collectively promote reading and life long learning in the Greater Memphis area.  Its vision is to create a fully literate Mid-South community and its mission is to take the necessary steps to realize this vision.  Since 1998, those who have an interest and a stake in working toward this goal have been meeting monthly at the Assisi Foundation.  During this time the membership has increased in diversity and size representing the Mid South Region.  Coalition membership is open to everyone who believes reading and life-long learning are the foundations to success and desires to build a great community of literate citizens.  With the partnership with The University of Memphis, MSR utilizes both community and university resources, provides services, research and professional development opportunities to assist in creating and maintaining environments where learning happens.

 The MSR coalition is one of 65 literacy coalitions in the US. MSR supports family literacy, workforce literacy, English as a Second Language (ESL), financial literacy, health literacy and more. By working with its member agencies, MSR has been able to reach out to new groups not currently being served and increase the awareness of literacy needs in the greater Memphis area.