 Through a District 7780 grant, the Bridgton–Lake Region Rotary Club will implement a literacy initiative at Crooked River Elementary School (CRES) aligned with BELRAG’s focus on early intervention, equity, and access. Rotary volunteers will provide consistent, one-to-one reading support to students identified by teachers as needing additional literacy assistance. Volunteers will help students build fluency, comprehension, and confidence by practicing reading and discussing selected texts in preparation for weekly classroom book discussions. | |
Crooked River Elementary School, located in Casco, Maine, serves 207 students in grades three through five from Casco and Naples. Publicly available data indicate that student reading proficiency at CRES is below the state average (75% vs. 84%), and approximately 80% of students are economically disadvantaged, underscoring the need for targeted literacy support.
In addition to volunteer mentoring, the project will provide financial support to purchase high-interest, age-appropriate books for classroom use and circulation, increasing access to engaging reading materials. Principal Steve Gagne identified approximately 25 students as being in greatest need of support and noted that many lack consistent reading assistance outside of school.
This initiative aims to improve reading proficiency, build confidence, increase participation in classroom discussions, and foster sustained engagement with reading—advancing BELRAG’s mission to promote literacy as a foundation for lifelong learning.