Basic Education & Literacy Month takes on even greater importance for Rotarians this year, as we come to see the the profound impact of the pandemic on education and literacy. As one of our seven Areas of Focus, Rotarians understand the critical importance of literacy. BELRAG (Basic Education and Literacy Rotary Action Group) supports Rotarians to to address these challenges to enable children to be confident readers and learners. BELRAG is offering three excellent opportunities to assist clubs and districts in their outreach to support literacy in their communities.....
Basic Education & Literacy Month takes on even greater importance for Rotarians this year, as we come to see the the profound impact of the pandemic on education and literacy. Since March 2020, more than 100 countries closed schools for extended periods of time, leaving more than a billion students out of school - and many schools have yet to reopen. As a result, there is great concern that many children will not return to class once schools are reopened because of economic impact, increased pregnancies, general disengagement from education. Yet we know that before the pandemic 773 million youth and adults could not read and write and 250 million children fail to acquire basic literacy skills (UNESCO) . Despite gains made in the last two decades to improve literacy, school closings during the COVID pandemic threaten to reverse positive trends made toward greater school participation as a result of extended periods of time when children and youth not been able to attend school.
As one of our seven Areas of Focus, Rotarians understand the critical importance of literacy. The ability to read and write is an essential skill necessary for our ability to participate and contribute to society. Literacy empowers people, expands our opportunity to lead a productive and meaningful life. Literate people have access to better employment, improved child and family health, and improved nutrition.
BELRAG (Basic Education and Literacy Rotary Action Group) supports Rotarians to to address these challenges to enable children to be confident readers and learners. BELRAG is offering three excellent opportunities to assist clubs and districts in their outreach to support literacy in their communities.
Access to books at home and in school promotes a love of reading and better performance in math, sciences and other subjects. BELRAG and RILM (Rotary India Literacy Mission) are partnering with Encyclopedia Britannica to offer Rotarians a special edition of The Illustrated Encyclopedia. This single volume book, full of engaging photos and graphics, is designed to inspire the curiosity of learners, age 8-108. Endorsed by RI President Shekhar Mehta and specially published for Rotarians, this is a tremendous resource for classrooms, libraries, after school, and adult education programs. BELRAG will provide teaching activities for each chapter to assist teachers and parents help engage students and guide them to learning more on the topics presented. Illustrated Encyclopedia
Literacy opportunities in every community BELRAG Literacy Awards is an annual opportunity for Rotarians to showcase their community literacy projects. Four outstanding projects will be awarded $400 USD each - with at least one award reserved for a Rotaract project. These awards are intended to promote local community literacy projects - reinforcing BELRAG’s belief that every Rotary Club can and should be involved in actively supporting literacy in their own community.
Applications are due by 30 Sept. Literacy Awards
Quality Early Childhood Literacy is the focus of Together We READ, the partnership between BELRAG and Save the Children. We are pleased to announce Community Engagement grant opportunities for Rotary Clubs in the US. Up to ten grants of $5000 to $10,000 each will be awarded to clubs engaged with community partners to support high quality early learning programs. School readiness, family literacy, access to quality books and learning resources, increasing community awareness of the importance of early literacy programs, or building capacity fo educators and community to support healthy learning development are examples of projects that these grants can support. Community Engagement Grants
More information about these projects is available at www.BELRAG.org Connect with BELRAG to learn how Rotarians are involved in basic education and literacy or to promote your club’s BEL projects.
