While on her Imagine Impact Tour, current Rotary International President, Jennifer Jones traveled to the Western Highlands of Guatemala to highlight the important work being done by the Guatemala Literacy Project (GLP) to combat illiteracy. At the GLP’s 25-year anniversary celebration at Hacienda Maria School in Guatemala, Jennifer Jones presented an award to Carolyn Johnson, Chair of BELRAG (Basic Education & Literacy Rotary Action Group). The award recognized Carolyn’s 18 years of service in certifying over 1,000 primary-school teachers in literacy instruction across Guatemala through the Spark Reading Program. “To learn to read is to light a fire,” reads the inscription on the sparkling crystal award, citing the famous Victor Hugo quote. Carolyn Johnson is PDG District 7780 and a member of the Rotary Club of Yarmouth, Maine.The Spark Reading Program
The GLP’s Spark Reading Program [formerly known as the Culture of Reading Program (CORP) founded by Carolyn Johnson] trains primary-school teachers in effective reading instruction and provides them with a library of books. Teachers receive two years of intensive training combined with individual support and instruction through in-class visits.
Founded in 1997, the GLP is a network of individual Rotarians, Rotary clubs and districts, and the nonprofit organization Cooperative for Education (CoEd) with a common interest in improving education for underserved students in Guatemala. It is one of the largest grassroots, multi-club, multi-district projects in Rotary, with over 800 participating clubs, including many in District 7780.