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United Way Day of Action on June 21st Promotes Literacy |
Char-Em United Way will join organizations nation-wide in celebrating a Day of Action on the longest day of the year, June 21st. The event has special significance this year, as United Way Worldwide will launch an ambitious goal to recruit one million volunteer readers, tutors and mentors to improve childhood literacy and education over the next three years. Today, fewer Americans are likely to earn a diploma than their parents, a distinction not shared by any other industrialized country.
Locally, Char-Em United Way will partner with local libraries, schools and other agencies to promote reading and learning skills with area children.
"We are excited to promote our second local Day of Action," says Martha Lancaster, Executive Director. "The longest day of the year is a great time to renew our community’s focus on education. We encourage everyone to take an action on June 21 in support of education. You can volunteer to read to kids, write a letter in support of early childhood education funding, donate books to a local school, or make a financial contribution to our education efforts."
There will be many ways to participate in the Day of Action in Charlevoix and Emmet Counties on June 21st. The Petoskey District Library will host a reading event for children at 7:00pm at the Carnegie Building, featuring volunteer readers from many different cultures. The Boyne City District Library is hosting a kick-off celebration for their Summer Read 2011 program with stories and activities from 9:30am to 10:30 am. Both libraries are promoting "One World, Many Stories" as their theme for summer reading. Charlevoix Public Library will be hosting a drop in reading event from 1:00pm to 3:00pm.
Starting on the Day of Action, Char-Em United Way is seeking committed volunteers to form a Literacy Corps to support its reading initiatives. Initially, the United Way Literacy Corps will work in area school, after-school and summer programs to improve reading competency. The focus will be on preschool and elementary age students.
Volunteers are being recruited to read to children at several sites on June 21. People interested in volunteering at a local library, pre-school or summer school program, can learn more about this opportunity at www.tinyurl.com/volunteerconnections. "Developing reading proficiency at an early age is a key factor in high school graduation," continues Lancaster. "Students who aren’t strong readers by 4th grade are at risk of educational failure and are more likely than their peers to drop out of high school. We believe - with the help of local volunteers - we can put local kids on the path to success."
Volunteer readers will be matched with summer school programs conducted by the Char-Em ISD’s 21st Century Project. This is a critical time for reading activities, as research spanning 100 years shows that students typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they do on the same tests at the beginning of the summer.
The Literacy Corps can continue their work at school and after-school programs during the coming year. Over the coming three years, United Way’s Education Initiative and volunteer activities will be expanded to encompass additional activities promoting education at all grade levels and in non-school settings. Char-Em United Way has set a goal of recruiting 150 local education volunteers to implement the initiative. Training and support will be provided for all volunteers joining the effort.
If you are interested in helping with the Day of Action activities or becoming a mentor, tutor or reading aide in the future, email vista@charemunitedway.org or call 487-1006. Volunteer opportunities are listed under the Volunteer tab at www.charemunitedway.org.