Rotary Promotes Literacy

1. Rotary Promotes Literacy A Look at Rotary’s Literacy Efforts Worldwide

2. What Is Literacy? Traditionally, literacy is defined as a person’s ability to read and write. It can also include functional abilities, like using a computer, understanding how to prevent certain diseases, or reading signs in a market.

3. Literacy Is Important Literacy empowers people and is essential for community development. Literate populations are more likely to • Develop economically • Live healthier lives • Be more peaceful

4. The Global Situation • Nearly 800 million people worldwide over the age of 15 can neither read nor write. • Women and girls account for about 64 percent of this group. • Nearly half of all children in Africa will not complete secondary school.

5. Adult Illiteracy Rates by Region Number of People (in millions)

6. Rotary Supports Literacy Whether donating dictionaries, building schools, or acting as tutors, Rotarians are active in efforts to reduce illiteracy around the world.

7. Rotarian Literacy Projects Each year, Rotarians carry out thousands of projects to • Expand and improve early childhood literacy and education programs for both boys and girls • Improve the ability of teachers to teach and empower schools to meet the needs of students in the community • Increase access to adult learning programs for both men and women • Reduce barriers to literacy • Promote positive community environments for literacy

8. Literacy Resources Tools to Support Rotarian Literacy Projects

9. Literacy Resource Group Appointed annually by the RI president, the Literacy Resource Group is a network of Rotarian volunteers who support and encourage Rotary club and district participation in literacy activities worldwide.

10. Resource Group Structure • General coordinator and assistant general coordinator promote global literacy efforts. • Six area coordinators support regional literacy efforts in Asia, the South Pacific & Southern Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and North America. • The 39 zone coordinators help support and encourage district literacy activities. • Each district appoints a coordinator to help facilitate Rotarian and club literacy projects.

11. RILRG Emphases 2009-10 • School Partnerships: Mentoring, providing books, supplies and equipment, recognitions • Computer-Assisted Literacy Projects • Concentrated Language Encounter Projects • Four-Way Test projects • Dictionary Projects • Imagination Library Projects • International book shipping projects and International school support projects • Partnership projects with the International Reading Assoc. • Early Childhood literacy projects • Literacy exchange projects such as a teacher exchange • Reducing Child Mortality

12. Reducing Child Mortality- Literacy-Based Projects • Teaching mothers to read • Giving mothers basic information about child care, such as health, sanitation, nutrition, etc. • Teaching young girls to read and making it likely that they postpone the age at which they have their first child and understand the transmission of HIV/AIDS, etc. • Conducting projects that combine the issues of literacy, health and hunger, and water.

13. Work with the Resource Group • Contact Pat Bauer (pbauer5105@aol.com) Rotary District 6950 Literacy Chair, for literacy resources and project ideas. • Appoint a representative from your organization to work with your district coordinator. • Learn more about the 2009-2010 Literacy Resource Group at www.rotary.org.

14. Contact the Resource Group Find contact information in the Official Directory, or contact RI: Rotary International (PD210)1560 Sherman AvenueEvanston, IL 60201 USA E-mail:programs@rotary.org Phone: 847-424-5343 Fax: 847-866-6116

15. Examples of Literacy Projects District 6950 • Dunedin Rotary partnered with Literacy Council of Upper Pinellas to train tutors for adult learners. • Dunedin Rotary provided funds for new library materials in local elementary schools. • Dunedin Rotary members volunteered at reading festival at Dunedin Public Library. • Dunedin Rotary members participated in a book drive for Friends of the Library book sale. • Dunedin Rotary literacy chair implemented computer-assisted literacy program at Dunedin Public Library. • Dunedin Rotary sponsored a student teacher’s summer teaching English in South Africa.

16. District 6950 Projects • Sunrise Rotary of Dade City supplied an extra teacher for 36 hours of reading training for qualified students. • Sunrise Rotary member provided 100 Highlights magazines and 16 Telestory programs for 2 elementary schools. • Belleair Rotary Club matched all funds donated from members to the school- for the last 5 years $4,400 annually for supplies and needed items. • Rotary Club of Seminole Lake participated in a reading club where each 4th grade student was assigned a Pen Pal mentor with whom to correspond on their reaction to the book The Indian in the Cupboard.

17. District 6950 • Crystal River Rotary Club collaborated with local elementary school to host a Literacy Dinner program to provide books, food and fun for families of exceptional students. • Rotary Club of Seminole donated books to Literacy Council for their new site at Seminole Library. • Seminole Lake Rotary Club held a bowl-a-thon to benefit the Literacy Council of St. Petersburg. • Belleair Rotary Club sponsored a reading program and awarded bikes to participants through a drawing.

18. District 6950 • Rotary Club of Dunedin North continued year-round tutoring program at San Jose Elementary school that focuses on parent participation in Sing, Spell, Read and Write. • Rotary Club of Dunedin North donated dictionaries to San Jose Elementary 3rd graders. • Rotary Club of Dunedin North partnered with San Jose Elementary to sponsor the speech pathology program.

19. International Literacy Projects • District 5330’s 56 clubs provided books and bookcases for a village in Uganda (as well as multiple projects including clean water, sanitation and medical and dental care). • Rotarians from District 7070 (Toronto) have traveled to Kilema, Tanzania to work to improve quality of life through many school projects. • Rotary Club of Quinte Sunrise (District 7070) helped fund Reading Rocks, a reading incentive program for elementary students. • Rotary Clubs in France create and sponsor more that 1800 reading clubs for children. More than $325,000 raised in the past few years.

20. Cooperating for literacy To better support Rotarian literacy projects, Rotary International maintains a cooperative relationship with the International Reading Association.

21. International Reading Association • A professional membership organization dedicated to promoting high levels of literacy for all • Seeks to improve the quality of reading instruction and disseminate research and information about literacy • Includes a network of 300,000 educators in nearly 100 countries who support a thriving professional program of publications, meetings, and advocacy and outreach efforts locally, nationally, and internationally

22. Cooperating for Literacy in Your Community • Discuss literacy issues with Reading Association members in your community. • Ask Reading Association members to speak about literacy. • Plan a joint literacy project with your local Reading Association. • Celebrate International Literacy Day, 8 September, with a local Reading Association.

23. International Reading Association800 Barksdale RoadPO Box 8139Newark, DE 18714 USA www.reading.org E-mail:pubinfo@reading.org Phone: 302-731-1600 Fax: 302-731-1057 Learn More about the International Reading Association

24. Key Literacy Dates • March – Literacy Month • 8 September – International Literacy Day

25. Other Rotary Literacy Resources • RI Web site: www.rotary.org • Communities in Action: A Guide to Effective Projects • A Menu of Service Opportunities • Community Assessment Tools • World Community Service Projects Exchange • Community Projects Database • Fact sheet on International Reading Association