MUSCATINE, Iowa — The Rotary Club of Muscatine and United Way of Muscatine partnered to assemble literacy kits for kindergarten students at Jefferson Elementary School.
According to a press release, 61 literacy kits were assembled by Rotarians to give out to kindergarten students to help them make their reading experience better and build their libraries at home.
“It's incredibly rewarding when we can bridge Rotary's global focus on literacy with local impact, reaching students right here in Muscatine,” said Megan Francis, President of the Rotary Club of Muscatine.
Each kit includes a book, a personalized note of encouragement and an activity to make reading interactive and to bring the book to life for children.
Kandy Steel, principal of Jefferson Elementary School said, “We are incredibly grateful to the Rotary Club for their generous donation of new books and activities for our kindergarten students. Their support will undoubtedly inspire a love of learning and help our students continue to thrive, even while learning remotely. Thank you for your commitment to education and for making a difference in the lives of our Jefferson students."
According to a press release, 3rd-grade reading proficiency scores in Muscatine County dropped by 19.2% post-pandemic and have still not returned to pre-pandemic levels. That's why United Way of Muscatine's goal is that every child succeeds academically through support in and out of school.
“The partnership with Rotary to get books and literacy kits into the homes of these students ahead of summer break is an important piece to increasing the number of children who are reading at or above grade level–a core piece of United Way’s efforts to increase household independence through education and training," said Hilary Henke, community engagement manager at United Way of Muscatine.
For more information, contact Hilary Henke at hilary@unitedwaymuscatine.org or 563-263-5963. And for more information about the City of Muscatine visit their website.
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