Literacy

Rotarians Supporting Literacy

Make Dreams Real!

LINK to 4-Way TEST

Literacy projects allow Rotarians to Make Dreams Real by building nations, reducing poverty, and offering opportunity for those in need.  By our very presence, we can put a face and a heart on this mission by raising literacy levels in our homes, communities, and world.  The ability to read, write, and do simple math is necessary for the very survival of individuals in a modern society.  Past RI President Bill Boyd described literacy as the “escape hatch” from the cycle of poverty and a natural complement to Rotarians’ emphasis on water, health, and hunger. He states, “Literacy enables communities to take care of their water resources, address their own health and hunger, and teach the next generation.” 

Help your club members Make Dreams Real.  Create opportunities for Rotarians to become aware of the full array of literacy project opportunities.  Create awareness of a wide variety of literacy needs so individual members can develop a passion for a particular project and take advantage of the opportunity to volunteer or start a new club project to Make Dreams Real.

Help other clubs Make Dreams Real.  Tell your district Literacy Chair about your club’s successes with literacy projects.  Your success story will be shared with other clubs in our district and zone.  Who knows?  By hearing about your plans or successes, other clubs may be inspired to follow your example and find new opportunities to Make Dreams Real!

Help your community Make Dreams Real.  Publicize your club’s interest and involvement in Literacy.  Get the word out through media publications, by providing information to families, or including Rotary literacy information with fundraising projects.  

Share Rotarians’ commitment to literacy and Make Dreams Real.

For more information about the need and benefits of supporting literacy, for suggestions about literacy projects, or to schedule a speaker on literacy topics for your club, contact Carolyn Johnson, District 7780 Literacy Resource Chair. 

Carolyn Johnson

cfj2@mac.com

207-846-6526 (h)

Suggested Literacy Activities

1.         Promote International Literacy Day in your club, community, or schools during the week of 8 September 2008.  Rotary International has several media resources to that your club may use to create awareness of Rotary’s involvement and support for literacy.

2.         Celebrate Rotary Literacy Month in March, 2009.  March 2 is Read Across America Day, celebrated in most elementary classrooms or schools as it is also the birthday of Dr. Seuss.  Some schools use this day as a time to invite guests from the community to read a picture book or a story to classes as a means of promoting life long readers.  This could be a great project for your Rotary Club to sponsor in your community.

3.         Carry out a book project, such as The Dictionary Project.  Several clubs in District 7780 participate annually with elementary schools in their community and find a very rewarding project and a great connection with the schools.  For more information or to order dictionaries at low cost, see www.rotaryliteracy.com or www.dictionaryproject.org

4.         Participate in a Four-Way Test project or another character project.  Our District is looking to undertake a Four-Way Test essay/public speaking project.  Details will be provided to clubs in the fall.  Provide Four-Way Test bookmarks and posters to schools and talk with classes about its importance.

5.         Create a school partnership project (reading mentors or tutors, financial support, gifts in kind).  Consider working with adult or alternative education programs.  Collect books for your local library, school, nursing home, or youth center.

6.         Partner with another organization (local school or school district, commercial organization, or literacy non-profit) on a literacy project.  Consider opportunities for working with the elderly or incarcerated youth.

7.         Sponsor a community literacy project.  Some communities sponsor “community read” programs, where a specific book is promoted and read by as many in the community as possible.  An event such as a pot luck dinner is scheduled as a culminating event where those who participated come together to discuss the book. 

8.         Help an immigrant community address their literacy needs.  Immigrants and refugees, both adults and children, in our communities are individual who would benefit greatly from support programs, mentoring, and reading materials.

9.         Initiate a project to support RI President Lee’s special emphasis on reducing child mortality.

10.       Create awareness of literacy project opportunities.  Invite speakers to present information about literacy topics and programs to your club.  Create awareness of the literacy aspects of Rotary’s theme for each month.

11.       Arrange a Literacy Seminar for your community.

12.       Implement a program to acknowledge and publicly recognize literacy leaders in your community.

13.       Support a reading readiness project such as Imagination Library, Books for Babies, The Brain Game, or Sandparents.

14.       Partner water with literacy on a “Wash Your Hands” project.  This could be an opportunity to “piggy back” on an existing international project and involve more club members with a different focus, strengthening ties in communities where your club has established relationships.

15.       Conduct an international literacy project.  Learn more about the Guatemala Literacy Project, a self-sustaining project providing textbooks to indigenous children in rural Guatemala.