Weekly Program - March 17 - March is Literacy Month

[Janie]

Basic education and literacy   

The Foundation enables Rotarians to ensure that all people have sustainable access to basic education and literacy by: 
1.Involving the community to support programs that strengthen the capacity of communities to provide basic education and literacy to all 
2.Increasing adult literacy in communities
3.Working to reduce gender disparity in education
4.Supporting studies for career-minded professionals related to basic education and literacy

The cooperative relationship between the International Reading Association (IRA) and Rotary International (RI) provides a way to collaborate and combine resources to promote literacy worldwide. A memorandum of understanding between the two organizations was first signed in 2002 and renewed in 2005 and 2009. Rotary clubs and districts, and IRA councils and affiliates, are encouraged to share resources and information and to develop cooperative literacy projects.
What is the International Reading Association?
The International Reading Association is a professional membership organization dedicated to promoting high levels of literacy for all by improving the quality of reading instruction, disseminating research and information about reading, and encouraging a lifetime reading habit. IRA members include teachers, reading specialists, consultants, administrators, supervisors, university faculty, researchers, psychologists, librarians, media specialists, and parents. The IRA network encompasses 70,000 members and over 300,000 affiliate members in nearly 100 countries, who support a thriving professional program of publications, meetings, and advocacy and outreach efforts locally, nationally, and internationally.
How can my club or district get involved?
Rotary clubs and districts are encouraged to consult an IRA member representative to identify and address literacy needs in their communities. To contact a representative in your area, use the Council and Affiliate Directory on the IRA website, www.reading.org, which provides contact information by geographic region.
RI encourages clubs and districts to promote and participate in service projects around 8 September, International Literacy Day, and in March, Literacy Month on the Rotary calendar.
How can this relationship be promoted?
Rotary clubs and districts can promote this important relationship at Rotary gatherings and meetings of other interested groups. RI also encourages clubs and districts to share their successful projects with staff by e-mailing prog...@rotary.org. These success stories may be used as model projects in Rotary’s ProjectLINK database (www.rotary.org/projectlink) or publicized in RI publications.
What support is available from the International Reading Association?
The IRA has a special interest group, IRARI, that works to promote literacy awareness and development projects between IRA councils and affiliates, international development communities, and Rotary clubs and districts. It provides a network for members to generate ideas and exchange information. Find additional information at www.reading.org/general/advocacyandoutreach/sigs/irari_sig.aspx.
Additional Resources
Every School A Star: A Literacy Tool Kit
www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en_pdf/literacy_every_school_a_star.pdf
Communities in Action: A Guide to Effective Projects (605A)
www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en_pdf/605a_en.pdf
Community Assessment Tools (605C)
www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en_pdf/605c_en.pdf