{"id":171759,"date":"2026-02-27T18:07:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T18:07:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/171759\/"},"modified":"2026-02-27T18:07:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T18:07:08","slug":"famu-trio-marks-national-trio-day-with-read-a-thon-at-astoria-park-elementary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/171759\/","title":{"rendered":"FAMU TRIO Marks National TRIO Day with Read-a-Thon at Astoria Park Elementary"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-start=\"376\" data-end=\"643\">TALLAHASSEE, Fla. \u2014 Florida A&amp;M University\u2019s TRIO program celebrated National TRIO Day by extending<br \/>\n                        its impact beyond campus, participating in a Read-a-Thon at Astoria Park Elementary<br \/>\n                        School that brought literacy, mentorship and encouragement to local students.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"645\" data-end=\"925\">Observed annually, National TRIO Day highlights federally funded programs designed<br \/>\n                           to advance student success and increase access to higher education for underserved<br \/>\n                           populations. Celebrated nationwide each February, the day brings together thousands<br \/>\n                           of students, educators and alumni in service and advocacy efforts that underscore<br \/>\n                           the lasting impact of TRIO programs. In alignment with its mission, FAMU\u2019s TRIO program<br \/>\n                           used the occasion to engage with young learners and promote the value of education<br \/>\n                           within the Tallahassee community.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"927\" data-end=\"1037\">TRIO Academic Coordinator Levia Wiley-Jackson emphasized the importance of service<br \/>\n                        and community engagement.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1039\" data-end=\"1200\">\u201cI felt it was necessary,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s important to give back, and this is a great<br \/>\n                        reflection of what our program stands for. I hope this becomes a trend.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" data-start=\"1202\" data-end=\"1470\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1024x768_TRIODAY2.jpg\" alt=\"A Florida A&amp;M University TRIO student ambassador smiles while representing the program during National TRIO Day activities, highlighting FAMU\u2019s commitment to student success and STEM engagement.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\"\/>A Florida A&amp;M University TRIO student ambassador smiles while representing the program<br \/>\n                              during National TRIO Day activities, highlighting FAMU\u2019s commitment to student success<br \/>\n                              and STEM engagement. (Photo Courtesy: TRIO Program)<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1202\" data-end=\"1470\">Last week, TRIO staff and student volunteers visited Astoria Park Elementary School<br \/>\n                           as part of the school\u2019s Black History Month Read-a-Thon. Volunteers read a selection<br \/>\n                           of children\u2019s books chosen by teachers, highlighting themes of Black history and self-acceptance.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1472\" data-end=\"1673\">In addition to reading sessions, volunteers hosted an ice cream social that recognized<br \/>\n                           students for their academic achievements, creating a celebratory and encouraging environment<br \/>\n                           for young learners.<\/p>\n<p>Fifth-year mechanical engineering student Glenn Reid, a TRIO academic tutor for four<br \/>\n                           years, described the experience as both meaningful and rewarding.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1829\" data-end=\"1905\">\u201cIt was a great experience, and I would love to do this again,\u201d Reid said.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1907\" data-end=\"2041\">For junior political science major Shania Soleil, a former student of Astoria Park<br \/>\n                        Elementary, the event held personal significance.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2043\" data-end=\"2195\">\u201cGoing back was a full-circle moment,\u201d Soleil said. \u201cI remember being in their shoes.<br \/>\n                        It felt like I was becoming the role model I once looked up to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2197\" data-end=\"2539\">Through initiatives like the Read-a-Thon, FAMU\u2019s TRIO program continues to bridge<br \/>\n                        the gap between higher education and the community. By providing academic assistance,<br \/>\n                        mentorship and career guidance, the program not only empowers current college students<br \/>\n                        but also inspires younger generations to view higher education as an attainable goal.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2541\" data-end=\"3010\">TRIO programs, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, are designed to support<br \/>\n                        low-income, first-generation college students and students with disabilities as they<br \/>\n                        progress through the academic pipeline, from middle school to postsecondary education.<br \/>\n                        At FAMU, TRIO serves as an umbrella for programs such as Upward Bound, Talent Search,<br \/>\n                        Student Support Services and the Educational Opportunity Center, each offering targeted<br \/>\n                        academic and career readiness support.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" data-start=\"2541\" data-end=\"3010\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" data-start=\"2541\" data-end=\"3010\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1024x768_TRIODAY.jpg\" alt=\"FAMU TRIO students and volunteers engage with local youth during a Read-a-Thon at Astoria Park Elementary School, distributing treats and celebrating academic achievement as part of National TRIO Day.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\"\/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" data-start=\"2541\" data-end=\"3010\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" data-start=\"2541\" data-end=\"3010\">FAMU TRIO students and volunteers engage with local youth during a Read-a-Thon at<br \/>\n                              Astoria Park Elementary School, distributing treats and celebrating academic achievement<br \/>\n                              as part of National TRIO Day. (Photo Courtesy: TRIO Program)<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3012\" data-end=\"3077\">Wiley-Jackson summarized the organization\u2019s impact on students.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3079\" data-end=\"3239\">\u201cI like to say that we\u2019re the family within the FAMUly,\u201d she said. \u201cWe support our<br \/>\n                        students in every way we can and serve as the system they need to succeed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3241\" data-end=\"3461\">Through services such as academic coaching, tutoring, financial aid guidance and career<br \/>\n                           planning, TRIO programs aim to ease students\u2019 transition into college, increase retention<br \/>\n                           and prepare them for successful careers.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3241\" data-end=\"3461\">For more information about FAMU\u2019s TRIO programs, visit <a class=\"decorated-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cpdcenter.famu.edu\/channels\/trio\/\" target=\"_new\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" data-start=\"3709\" data-end=\"3750\">https:\/\/cpdcenter.famu.edu\/channels\/trio\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Media Contact:<\/p>\n<p>Ashley Flete<br \/>Senior Communications Specialist\u00a0<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/news.famu.edu\/2026\/mailto:ashley.flete@famu.edu\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">ashley1.flete@famu.edu<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>                     <a class=\"back__button\" href=\"https:\/\/news.famu.edu\/index.php\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> Back to Stories<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"TALLAHASSEE, Fla. \u2014 Florida A&amp;M University\u2019s TRIO program celebrated National TRIO Day by extending its impact beyond campus,&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":171760,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[232,234,233],"class_list":["post-171759","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tallahassee","tag-tallahassee","tag-tallahassee-headlines","tag-tallahassee-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/171759","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=171759"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/171759\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/171760"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=171759"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=171759"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=171759"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}