Early LiteracyLibraries/Access to Education Resources
2021-22
United States of America
International Falls
5580
Project Impact
Description
This club too involved the community partners to create LORE: Love of Reading Early. In fact, the Rotarians sought input from 16 stakeholders who were interested in early childhood education, they searched education literature and developed values which guided their way.
There were 4 aspects to LORE:
1. Successful advocacy for the adoption of ROR or Reach Out and Read where medical providers recommended to parents of young children that they read to their children. New, free, age-appropriate books are provided at each of 10 wellness checks in a child’s first five years.
2. When the project began, Rotarians doubled the number of children enrolled in the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program and have continued to increase enrollment in each subsequent year. This program was originally funded by their United Way. For children not enrolled at birth, Rotarians encouraged health practitioners to identify and sign up those children.
3. Development of LORE Libraries – a take on the Little Free Libraries which are in many communities around the world. These colorful wooden libraries contain only children’s books and are strategically placed in indoor locations where parents and children frequent – medical clinics, grocery store, community centers, social services offices, etc. Local craftsmen and Rotarians constructed the boxes and local artists decorated them with favorite literary characters.
4. Rotary Readers read to the 4 and 5 year old age group on a weekly basis. This was the most labor intensive but most rewarding cornerstone of the project.