Jarred Amato

Amato’s innovative teaching idea, “Project LIT Community,” focuses on empowering students at Maplewood High School to flood the school and local community with culturally relevant books and champion daily reading to increase literacy with the local community. By providing access to this library of reading material, Amato hopes that the new and relevant books will allow all students to see themselves in the pages, communicate through each individual’s voice and empower students to engage with the community in a meaningful way. With funds from the Voya grant, Amato aspires to expand his vision by planning larger literacy events each year such as an author visit including more than 600 students from a dozen Nashville schools.