‘Basic Education and Literacy’ In Rotary This Month.
- Anne Matthews
- Aug 26, 2018
- 2 min read
Today, Rotary clubs all over the world are taking action to enhance basic education and literacy in their communities. Rotary supports education for all children and literacy for children and adults. It is worth us all acknowledging that the World’s future is in our children !
As part of its commitment to basic education, the Rotary Club of Bribie Island is providing the "Teacher in a Box" program and training in its use to people in PNG. Teacher in a Box (TIB) uses re-purposed laptops, which act as both a browser and a server, to provide offline access to over 10,000 educational and vocational videos which are stored in the system. The system can also be accessed by a Wi-Fi device. We take internet access for granted, but this is such a wonderful tool for rural villages and countries where there is limited, or no, internet access.
Locally, we support education through our Rotary Youth programs and with our EarlyAct and Interact Clubs. For example, Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment (RYPEN) is a program for 14-17 years olds, which aims to provide young people with the opportunity to develop their potential and self-esteem. The program is for those who aren't already leaders and helps them develop their leadership skills so that they can excel in their chosen fields.
Internationally, Rotary members have made amazing things happen, such as:
Opening schools: In Afghanistan, Rotary members opened a girls’ school to break the cycle of poverty and social imbalance.
Since 2009, Rotary International has been working with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to promote early childhood reading. Through the program, a child receives an age-appropriate book each month until age five. Rotary clubs throughout the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom have been teaming up with Dolly to bring books to children in hundreds of local communities. This is not a 9 to 5 operation – but 24/7.
So the next time you buy a raffle ticket from our well known raffle lady, Lurline, or buy a bacon and egg roll or sausage from our Van at the Bribie Markets, remember that the proceeds from your purchase will assist basic education both locally and in developing countries. All monies collected go to charity – none to overheads or administration. Like Dolly, your contributions can help both adults and children keep abreast of modern learning skills.