The Humboldt County Office of Education (HCOE) Early Literacy Partners Program, in partnership with local Rotary Clubs, teamed up to provide over 600 books to TK-2nd grade students for the holidays who are part of HCOE’s YES (youth educational services) Homeless and Foster Youth Program.
The goal of HCOE’s YES program is to support and help improve the educational outcomes for foster and homeless students in our local schools.
Seven Rotary and Rotaract clubs joined forces for this effort to provide four books (Clifford the Big Red Dog; I Spy Letter; If You Give A Pig A Party; and The Pigeon Loves Things That Go!) to the students. For some of these children, these will be the first books they can call their own.
The clubs that participated in this event were Rotary Club of Arcata Sunrise, Rotary Club of Arcata, Rotary Club of Old Town Eureka, Rotary Club of Fortuna, Rotary Club of Fortuna Sunrise, Rotary Club of Southwest Eureka, and Lost Coast Rotaract.
Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Chris Hartley states, “I’m feeling super grateful that we have community members that are willing to come together and serve. Everyone here understands the value and importance of helping students with their reading skills and giving them a gift, they can learn from, and take home and keep for the rest of their lives.”
Rotary is an international service organization whose stated purpose is to bring together business and professional leaders in order to provide humanitarian service and to advance goodwill and peace around the world. Many local clubs have made early literacy for children a top priority and mission in their collective efforts.
The Early Literacy Partners Program supports students in preschool through second grade who are reluctant or struggling with reading or math by placing them with community volunteers who work one-on-one with them during school hours twice a week.
For more information about the Early Literacy Partners Program or if you are interested in getting involved, please visit www.hcoe.org/elp or contact Olivia Kernen at (707) 445-7007.