From staff reports
“Read Beaufort Read” is the Rotary Club of Beaufort’s initiative to improve childhood literary, and the campaign was kicked off recently with a grant of $5,000 to United Way of the Lowcountry to support its Early Grade Reading program in northern Beaufort County schools.
The Rotary Club of Beaufort’s “Read Beaufort Read” program’s purpose is to partner and support local organizations for providing tutoring, book donations, little libraries and literacy events designed to engage children and families in reading.
The focus of the United Way of the Lowcountry’s Early Grade Reading program is elementary school-aged children in Grades 1 through 3. The two organizations seek tutors who can volunteer as little as two hours a week during the school year. The third partner is the Beaufort County School District (BCSD) as the tutoring is done in selected county schools.
United Way of the Lowcountry President and CEO Dale Douthat, together with United Way’s Vice President of Education Impact Bethany Marcinkowski, presented Rotarians an informational briefing that showed that children must learn their reading skills before entering the 4th Grade, if they are to master this skill.
The $5,000 grant presented by Rotary Club of Beaufort President Barry Wilson, represents a joint grant from the club and Rotary International’s District 7770.
Those interested in tutoring can go to www.beaufortrotaryclub.org and click on the “Contact Us” button or go to https://uwlowcountry.org/our-impact/read-indeed/.
