By Rotary Service and Engagement staff
According to the United Nations, 57 million children worldwide are not in school and 757 million people over the age of 15 —two-thirds of whom are women — are illiterate. In honor of Rotary Basic Education and Literacy Month celebrated each September, take action by starting or supporting a literacy project in your community. Here are a few ways you can get involved:
- Volunteer in a classroom or after-school program.
- Promote student enrollment and prevent absences, especially for girls, by providing safe drinking water, gender segregated toilets, handwashing stations, and training on hygiene and menstrual hygiene management for students and teachers.
- Work with a partner to provide training to school librarians on performing reading assessments and utilizing methodologies to work with students who have special learning needs.
- Develop an adult literacy program.
- Start a mentorship program for students in your community.
- Find a project to support on Rotary Ideas.
Enhance your efforts
Every community has different needs and different opportunities to serve. The Basic Education and Literacy Project Strategies Guide can help you ask the right questions, identify real needs, and make the greatest possible impact with the time, energy, and resources you have at your disposal.
Attend the Basic Education and Literacy Peacebuilding Conference
A strong foundation in basic education and literacy is essential for reducing poverty, improving health, encouraging economic and community development, and creating more peaceful, thriving communities. World-wide, more than 250 million children live in regions affected by violence. The 2 June 2018 conference, taking place in Chicago, USA, will explore the relationship between basic education and literacy and peace and the role youth and educational programming can play in mitigating conflict.
Join community members from around the world, education professionals, students, and other thought leaders to discuss successful strategies for empowering youth and communities to reduce violence through access to safe and quality education for all students. Register online.
How have you been celebrating Rotary Basic Education and Literacy Month? Leave a comment below and share your projects on Rotary Showcase. Join the Basic Education and Literacy Discussion Group on My Rotary to learn from experts and share ideas with fellow Rotarians!
Service in Action 
Our club RC Alexandre Marine, district 2451 has and still supporting Basic Education & Literacy. We have supported 2 literacy classes with our twinning club RC Mississauga City Center. District 7080. As well opened two learning classes for special need children with RC Oak Park & River forest.
– We have paid the tuition of 300 children from deprived areas in Alexandria, Iraqi – Syrian- Sudanese-& Somalia refugees.
– we have distributed school bags, uniforms, stationary especially to children from refugees who can’t afford and children in deprived areas in Alexandria.
Reblogged this on shanakyar.
The Rotary Club of Mabalacat D3790 Philippines supports Rotary’s literacy program by giving free vocational and skill training to out of school youth and young adults, Funded by global grants with Korean clubs Namwon Yongseong D3670 and Masan Gagopa D3722, almost 1000 individuals learn new skills on automotive servicing, welding, industrial sewing, computer programming, massage therapy, hairdressing, food processing. Employment opportunities from the club’s contact business establishments await the graduates.