One of the greatest needs in the communities in our district is improvements in literacy. So many opportunities are open to those who can read, and closed off to those who can’t. Low reading levels and high dropout rates confound our efforts to bring good paying jobs to our communities. Here are some programs that could help:

Rotary CALS: The computer assisted literacy solution shows full grade level improvements in reading in 10-12 weeks on average. It includes both the Academy of Reading and the Academy of Math. See http://www.autoskill.com/rotarians/index.php.

Dictionary Project: There are two projects to place a dictionary in the hands of every third-grader in a school or a district. An exclusive Rotary project donating hardbound books can be found at http://www.petalumarotary.org/dictionaries/words.htm, while another multi-organization program distributing paperbacks is accessible at http://www.dictionaryproject.org/.

Imagination Library: Dolly Parton’s literacy project distributes books to every child within a participating community or neighborhood from birth to age five. Learn more at http://www.imaginationlibrary.com/.