Rotary Club receives $2,000 Community Grant for Meriwether Reading Program

The Rotary Club of Meriwether County was awarded a $2000 Community grant from the Rotary Foundation and Rotary District 6900  for 2024-2025. This grant is a crucial step in supporting electronic learning books and tablets for the Get Meriwether Reading Program, a vital initiative for our community.

The grant specifically aims to provide various early learning tools to the 107 children in the 0-4 age group who are most in need or at risk of unpreparedness for kindergarten. These tools, which include but are not limited to the LeapFrog 2-in-1 Leap Top Touch, LeapFrog Dino's Delightful Day Alphabet Book, and LeapFrog Mr. Pencil's Scribble and Write, are crucial for their development.

This grant targets high-risk children in daycare settings, children enrolled in the Head Start program, and those identified by the Department of Public Health.  

In collaboration with partners such as Meriwether Family Connections, the Meriwether County Chamber of Commerce, the Meriwether County School System, and the leaders of early literacy programs, this grant will provide early literacy resources and hands-on support to enhance their readiness for pre-K. 

The impact of this grant is significant, as without it, these children risk becoming part of the 68% who are not reading proficiently at the end of third grade, a statistic with lifelong implications.