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Encouraging Heroes. You can be one too.

I’ve been learning a little about Rotary International, a group that has a very compelling mission for its members: service above self. With 1.2 million members, this group is a force for good in the world.

One big focus of Rotarians is Literacy. In Washington State, for example, the Dictionary Project aims to put a dictionary in the hands of every 3rd grader living within the area of their local clubs. Also in Tacoma, Washington, the Fife-Milton Rotary (Club # 64) is entering its 4th year of sponsoring Catherine Nankunda’s education in Mbarara, Uganda. She is a 9 year old Uganda girl attending St Aloysius Primary school there. Fife-Milton Rotary’s donation covers her tuition, books, room, board, uniform, bedding, stationary, etc. She is in the 5th grade & the club receives progress reports each quarter.

In Minnesota, the members of Eden Prairie Noon Rotary Club hosted its 5th annual My Book Day on May 10, 2012. 719 first grade students from the Eden Prairie School Districts received a hard cover book of their own choosing and an exciting experience designed to promote a love of reading and encourage them to read over the summer.

In Maine, the District 7780’s Map Project provides schools with help creating a twenty foot by thirty foot map that is painted on a hard outdoor surface. With 35 suggestions for using the map, elementary school children have many many ways to interact and learn some US geography.

If you’d like to get involved with Rotary, check out their site to look for volunteer opportunities. You can also follow them on Twitter at @rotary.

Earnest Parenting: help for parents who want volunteer opportunities.