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.