Kimberly Harmon Serving Our Community
Children learn what they live. In Kimberly Harmon’s case, she grew up with parents dedicated to public service and being active in the community. Her Father was a High School History teacher and Vice-Principal. Every Summer, he ran a Reading Camp in South Philadelphia. Being of service to others was all she knew. “It wasn’t service, it was just normal life.”
She developed a love of Reading at a young age. “I remember walking around the house and picking up anything to read. I loved getting lost in a story, or reading the newspaper. I was Blessed because I always knew what I wanted to be when I grew up…a teacher.” She followed in her father’s footsteps and became a 1st grade teacher in an inner-city school. During her career she became a Standardized Test Evaluator, Reading Interventionist, Literacy Coach, Supervisor, Author and Adjunct Professor. She taught a Masters’ Level course training teachers in Early Intervention, “I absolutely found my Purpose in life and loved what I was doing. I used to say I can’t believe I actually get paid to do this.”
Kimberly had to prematurely retire due to health reasons. She recently relocated to South Florida leaving all her friends and family. In the short time she has been here, she saw a need and knew she had something she could offer to her new community. Education was her passion.
Kimberly started the non-profit organization, Read2Achieve Inc. in order to close the Reading Achievement gap by equipping educators and parents with strategies and techniques to support and empower struggling beginning readers.
Harmon reminds us, “You have to build a house on a strong foundation. Just like in the story of the 3 Little Pigs. Everything a child learns in 1st grade is built upon in subsequent grades. Children progress through more Reading levels in 1st grade than any other grade. Therefore,1st grade is the most important of all grades. You’re building the foundation.”
Harmon further states, “We have to remember that 1st and 2nd grade a child is LEARNING to READ, in 3rd grade it switches. The child is now READING to LEARN. Thus, if the child is not reading by 3rd grade, learning is severely hindered. No one wants to see a child struggle or suffer. That is why Early Intervention is crucial. I want to instill a love of reading, improve self-esteem, and have children become life-long learners. By having our children reading on grade level by the end of 3rd grade, we will help eradicate both the, “School-to-Prison” and the “School to Pregnancy” pipelines.
Kimberly Harmon gets excited when she speaks of her upcoming,” CURE for Education Online Summit.” CURE is an acronym for Cultivating Unilateral Reform in Education. This comprehensive Summit’s purpose is empowering K-12 teachers and parents by providing ONLINE access to experts in various aspects of Education and Child Development. The focus is on various topics in Academics, Mindfulness, Advocacy, and Mental Health & Wellness.
Sessions range from topics in STEM, Classroom Management, and Intervention to Anxiety/Depression, Bullying, and Vaping. “My goal was to have one place where people could get the latest information to help children. We have some phenomenal experts. It was important all of the Speakers were people of color and most are small business owners. We also are supported by the Miami Dolphins. I am truly thankful and Blessed that we can present this example of Black Excellence.”
The CURE for Education Online Summit will be held December 9th-14th, 2019. The Summit is FREE if you watch the sessions LIVE, or you can get an All-Access Pass and have unlimited access to ALL the sessions for 90 days after the conclusion of the Summit.
Kimberly Harmon has truly hit the ground running in serving her new community. She is a member of the; American Psychological Association, International Literacy Association, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Reading Recovery Council of North America, and local chapters of the; National Alliance of Black School Educators, United Nations Association, Urban League of Broward Entrepreneurship Center, Broward County Black Chamber of Commerce, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Zeta Rho Omega Chapter.
Contact her at Read2AchieveInc@gmail.com or visit www.thecureforeducation.com to register.
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