Carolyn Lynn is the Director of AmeriCorps Duval Reads!, dubbed “the greatest program in the Land,” the Literacy branch of Communities in Schools of Jacksonville and a nonprofit agency whose mission is to help children stay in school and successfully prepare for life. The program is a testament to how intervention through a nonprofit agency can provide reading services to students performing below grade level. Under Carolyn’s leadership over the past 11 years AmeriCorps Duval Reads! has expanded to become the largest literacy program of its kind in Florida - from serving 230 students in 5 schools to serving more than 6,000 students in 25 schools annually. The program has expanded opportunities to serve by providing more than 400 trained AmeriCorps reading tutors serving the Jacksonville community. The capacity of Carolyn’s members has expanded as evidenced by the high number of former AmeriCorps tutors who have pursued and obtained higher education and/or permanent employment. The estimated financial impact of the AmeriCorps program on the Jacksonville economy over the past ten years exceeds $9,800 000. The program Carolyn manages has awarded more than 290 education awards totaling approximately $800,000 - further impacting the quality of life in the Jacksonville community. Carolyn has encouraged innovative approaches to solving problems by encouraging private companies to invest both their financial resources and volunteering their time to help youth in Duval County schools. An example is the partnership between CIS and JP Morgan Chase whose 140 employees have devoted over 1,125 hours of tutoring and literacy services. Carolyn’s impact in the community is evidenced by her long-term dedication to being responsible for oversight of tutors in 25 schools and management of 42 staff for Communities in Schools. Her daily accomplishments include interfacing with school administrators and community officials, coordinating service projects, conducting staff trainings, tracking program effectiveness, hiring tutors, program marketing, public speaking, press conference coordination, producing monthly reports, conducting employee and program evaluations, grant writing and securing additional program funding. Carolyn continually promotes promising practices by championing the inclusion of persons with disabilities in service and she creatively works with disability organizations to include persons with disabilities as members of AmeriCorps Duval Reads! Ms. Lynn participates in Project Impact, a statewide program utilizing service learning to engage transition age youth with disabilities in their community. A partner in Disability Mentoring Day, the program provides shadowing opportunities for high school students and job seekers with disabilities during Disability Employment Awareness Month in October. Carolyn’s management of the AmeriCorps Duval Reads! program supports the CNCS strategic goal of improved educational outcomes for economically disadvantaged children. According to school administrators, “Duval Reads! AmeriCorps members meet and exceed our expectations and members demonstrate they are an essential part of our school family. Approximately 85-88% of our students are on free and reduced lunch. AmeriCorps tutors impact the literacy of these students by working one on one or in small groups, and FCAT data shows this year students had gains of 99% with reading and math combined.”