Education is the most powerful tool we have for changing the world, and during Basic Education and Literacy Month, I want to remind everyone why our work matters.
Education breaks the cycle of poverty, opens doors to opportunity, and empowers individuals to transform their communities. But education doesn’t exist in a vacuum. We must also address peace, health, clean water, economic opportunity, maternal and child health, and the environment.
This is why Rotary has these areas of focus. Lasting change requires a comprehensive approach. When we collaborate across these areas through The Rotary Foundation, we raise up communities sustainably and with dignity.
Today, I have asked Lynne Paradis from the Rotary Club of Red Deer, Alberta, to share her passion for literacy:
“I believe that literacy is a human right. When I joined forces with the Rotary Club of San Ignacio, Belize, over a decade ago, we set out to improve reading instruction, but we had no idea how far this journey would take us.
Literacy Alive! has been supported by eight Rotary Foundation global grants since 2011. Using a straightforward approach based on phonics and science, we updated how teachers teach and focused on how students really learn. We collected data on reading skills improvement over six months.
After demonstrating that teachers had integrated new practices into daily instruction, the project snowballed. The Belize Ministry of Education took notice.
Today, over 1,300 teachers have been trained and more than 20,000 students have benefitted. We’ve achieved over 90 per cent success rates, with many students making more than a year’s worth of improvement in just five months.
The programme is now compulsory in Belize primary schools. What moves me most is hearing teachers say how confident they are that they can change students’ lives.
Our greatest success is working ourselves out of a job. When local educators take the lead, we know lasting change is underway.”
Lynne’s story exemplifies the power of Foundation grants. Through partnerships spanning six Rotary clubs and three countries, Literacy Alive! reminds us how good Rotary is at creating systemic change.
When our members’ passion meets Foundation support, we don’t just improve individual lives, we change entire communities. By supporting the Foundation, you can put your passion to work this month and every month.
Holger Knaack
TRF Trustee Chair