Over
12,276,734
children have received a dictionary thanks to the generosity of sponsors who have participated in the Dictionary Project. Sponsors provide a dictionary for the children in their community each year, so they can enjoy the benefits of a large vocabulary.
2,488,454
dictionaries were given to students in 2009 as a gift from people who live in their town.
"This is the 6th year that we have participated in this wonderful project. We are continually amazed by the appreciation expressed by the students, the teachers, and the administration. Great program! " John Hungerford, Rotary Club of Charles County La Plata, Bel Alton, MD
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If you would like to start a Dictionary Project Click Here
To find a list of Dictionary Projects in your state, choose from the list below:
The Dictionary Project is working toward the goal of sending dictionaries to every elementary school in the United States. By doing this we hope to have a positive impact on education in this country and empower children to become skillful communicators and resourceful learners. Our country and our world face many challenges, and we need to prepare our young people to be strong, productive citizens who can succeed and grow and solve problems in a rapidly changing world. A pocket dictionary may be a small thing, but it is a powerful tool to help with learning, and when it is a gift from a child’s community, the child learns from it not just the value of school work, but also the example of community service.
In order to help our generous sponsors spread the benefits of The Dictionary Project throughout their communities and eventually cover the whole nation, we have made some improvements to our website. The Participation Maps pages now list not just the schools our sponsors have covered, but all of the public schools in each state. The list is colorcoded to show which schools have a current sponsor, a past sponsor but not yet current one, or no sponsor at all. Donors who are able to expand their projects or new prospective donors can reference these lists to see where their help may be needed. The schools are organized by school district, so sponsors would simply need to find out which school districts are in their area and then start searching the list. It is our hope that this feature will be useful and will inspire people to help us ‘fill in the gaps’!
is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization. The goal of this program is to assist all students in completing the school year as good writers, active readers and creative thinkers by providing students with their own personal dictionary. The dictionaries are a gift to each student to use at school and at home for years to come. The Dictionary Project gives 95 cents of every dollar donated toward the purchase of dictionaries.
Reading is the most important skill of all. It is the starting point for all the economic and social opportunities this world has to offer. Educators see third grade as the dividing line between learning to read and reading to learn. Every year we watch The Dictionary Project grow by expanding our pool of sponsors, so more children can enjoy the benefits of owning their own personal dictionary.
Our sponsors have made tireless efforts to improve literacy and the quality of life in their communities. These volunteers are the breath of life of The Dictionary Project. Through The Dictionary Project, people feel empowered to effect change and improve education so that the children will grow up better prepared to compete in the global economy.
Why We Work in South Carolina
We wanted to understand why The Dictionary Project, which has been well received in most states, was virtually ignored in South Carolina for years. Every third-grade student in South Carolina public schools has received a dictionary for the past eight years, thanks in part to donations from people all over the country and Rotary Clubs in Districts 7770 and 7750. Unfortunately, we have not found local sponsors in much of the state. We believe that these pictures of schools in South Carolina clearly demonstrate that the people responsible for making education policy and funding decisions in this state do not understand the value of education, or grasp that it is an integral part of a prosperous economy.
Corridor of Shame ( http://www.dictionaryproject.org/corridor_of_shame.asp )
Recently the former superintendent of Charleston County schools had this to say about the school district:
http://www.charleston.net/news/2007/jun/14/pointed_words_good_feelings/ (click on link to open)
It wasn't until 1992 that standardized tests were mandated by the state of South Carolina and administered to the students to evaluate the level of education each child received in school. The test scores validated the SAT scores already on record that ranked South Carolina 50th in the nation. SAT scores in South Carolina are rising more quickly than those of the nation as a whole, but are still well below the national average. South Carolina average scores in 2007 were 488 Critical Reading , 496 Mathematics, and 475 Writing; United States average scores in 2007 were 502 Critical Reading , 515 Mathematics, and 494 Writing. (The SAT scores on a 200-800 point scale in each subject area.) The percentage of students meeting state standards in Language Arts on the 2007 Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test (PACT) is over 85% for third graders, but falls for higher grades, to just 71% of eighth graders who meet standards. PACT scores also show significant racial disparities: While 67% of white students score proficient or advanced in Language Arts, only 38% of African-American students attain such scores. High school graduation rates, depending on the methodology used to compute them, show that somewhere between 30 and 50 percent of entering ninth graders will fail to graduate within four years. This rate is among the worst in the nation. Overall graduation rates reported by the South Carolina Department of Education have fallen every year since 2003.
(Statistics are available on the South Carolina Department of Education website, www.ed.sc.gov . Other graduation-rate studies are at http://www.unitedhealthfoundation.com/shr2004/components/hsgrad.html and http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/cr_baeo_t2.htm .)
We receive many testimonials and comments from sponsors who have been participating in this project for a number of years, as well as from new sponsors starting their first project. Some of their kind words and comments are shared below, and we have a special testimonials page that includes more from all over the US. Please email us your comments or suggestions to wordpower@dictionaryproject.org
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We would like to honor and recognize the Fern and Elmer Kiwanis Fund for Children, an endowed gift initiated by Elmer Graber, a member of the South Bend Kiwanis Club. The endowment has grown through the generosity of several members of the club, and will provide funding for the Dictionary Project far into the future. The South Bend Kiwanis Club has been providing dictionaries to third-graders in the South Bend Community since 2005.
"Our members are thrilled to have such a direct impact on learning and literacy in our community. We have made a commitment to distribute dictionaries every year, and with the help of the Fern and Elmer Graber Kiwanis Fund for Children, our commitment will be realized. We love The Dictionary Project, and have recommended to several other clubs that they sponsor schools or districts in their respective geographic areas." Angie Schmidt, South Bend, Indiana
I began this project in 2005 when I was the Rotary Club President. I am very proud of it and hope that we can continue it for years to come. Leanne Shaw, Rotary Club of Moline, Illinois
This is the 7th year we have done this project. The teachers love us giving dictionaries to their students. It's a great project. Tricia Eidsmoe, Studley Grange #1174, Midland, Michigan
We distribute dictionaries to all third graders in the town of Brookfield (both public and private schools). We have been doing this for many years; I would guess about 8 or 9 years. Jeffrey Kass, Rotary Club of Brookfield, Connecticut
The Rotary Club of Fairfield has been participating in this project since 2001. We look forward every year to the project because it is one of our favorite projects. We love to see the happy faces of the children when they receive their books. The children are excited because if they had older siblings they know they are getting a book of their own. The Dictionary project is wonderful and we are happy to be part of it. Thank you! Madeline Zega, Rotary Club of Fairfield, New Jersey
Approximately six years. Wonderful Project! Fran Bender, Optimist Club of Wausau Noon, Wisconsin
I believe this will be our 5th year of participating in The Dictionary Project. It is a very worthwhile project, does not require a lot of people or extra work and just seeing the children's faces light up when they receive them is extremely satisfying. An excellent program and so easy to make our orders through the internet. Alma Szeliga, Worcester Grange #1274, Schenevus, New York
This is the second year the CLCP has participated in the project. Great Project! Please give credit to the Seminole County CLCP and the Spelling Bee team who raised the money. Martha Register, Seminole County Certified Literacy Program, Donalsonville, Georgia
This is the third year of participation for our club. We support 7 schools in the Granite School District in Utah and a charter school in Salt Lake City. We are pleased with the work of the project especially when books are updated. They are better each time they are improved for the students. Martha Velasco, Hispano-Latino Rotary Club of Salt Lake, Utah
We have been doing the project for a few years. We have close ties to the schools and there are many very poor kids in this area that could not supply dictionaries themselves. This is a great asset to the community and we are proud to play a small role in your overall efforts. Phillip VanDusen, Kiwanis Club of Leesburg-Sunrise, Florida
8 years. Obviously our club believes in this project. David Schirmer, Rotary Club of Hamilton, Ohio
This is our fourth year distributing dictionaries to all third graders in the Euclid City Schools. We expanded our program last year to also include private and charter schools. I think it works well as is. Your website is so helpful. I have spoken at other Rotary Clubs to tell them how easy The Dictionary Project makes this process happen. We each donate $2 every week, as a surcharge on our luncheon. That's how we fund this project. Joyce Hribar Fiebig, Rotary Club of Euclid, Willoughby Hills, Ohio
This is our 5th or 6th year doing the dictionaries and the 3rd year of the thesauruses. This is a good idea and promotes our club's involvement in the community. Jennifer Leuzzi, Rotary Club of Danville, New York
As a Rotarian whose club has sponsored a dictionary project for third graders, I know the value of these dictionaries and how much they are treasured by the students. Joanne Cohn, MIT Women's League, Cambridge, Massachusetts
I believe this is our 4th year. The dictionaries are greatly appreciated by the students and we hope to continue for a long time. We are very pleased to be able to take part in this wonderful project. The notes we receive from the students are just wonderful. They seem to be really excited to receive their very own dictionary. Dianne Davis, Winchester Elks Lodge #1445, Winchester, Massachusetts
We have been participating for the past 4 years. We have added two new districts (Springer and Plainview) within the last two years. This project is enthusiastically received by both students and teachers. Harold Butler, Rotary Club of Arbuckle Sunrise, Ardmore, Oklahoma
This is the fourth year the Santa Ana Elks Lodge #794 has provided dictionaries to all third graders in the Santa Ana and Tustin school districts. We think this is a fantastic program. Roger Vulgamore, Santa Ana, California
This is the third year that Kiwanis of Central Broward have provided dictionaries to 3rd grade students of the seven schools. This is an excellent project. Jackie Jackson, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
This will be our third year. The program is great. I was surprised at the reactions of the third graders receiving the dictionaries. The Clearfield Rotary would like to thank the former members of the Moshannon Valley Rotary Club. Calvin Thomas, Clearfield, Pennsylvania
We have done this now for 8 years. A great project. We get great letters back from students. Dennis Borden, Rotary Club of South Orange and Maplewood, New Jersey
The Fulton Rotary Club has been distributing books to third grade students in the Fulton City School District for the past five years. This project is an excellent way to promote literacy and to encourage young students to read and work hard in school! Bill Lynch, Rotary Club of Fulton, New York
It's a club project and we all enjoy the letters of 'thank you' that follow our classroom program. It's the best and we are looking forward to it. We do it during American Education Week in November. Tony Rash, Rotary Club of Willimantic, Mansfield Center, Connecticut
This will be our third year. The past 2 years we have donated to one school. This year we have expanded to two schools. We believe that it is a great program and is well planned and operated. Phillip Willnerd, Lincoln Southeast Kiwanis Club, Lincoln, Nebraska
This will be the second donation that I have made to the second grade students at the Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School in Washington, DC. I want the children to have the joy of words that began for me when I began using a dictionary when I was their age. Excellent program! Thesia Garner, Washington DC
This is our sixth year and we feel that the children have benefited from this great project. Candy Smith, Williamsburg Grange #225, Williamsburg, Massachusetts
This is my 7th year of giving out the dictionaries in Mason County, Washington. When I tell the students that they can write their name in the book, as it is your book, they just go crazy. You would think that I gave them a box of candy. It is the BEST thing going. Keep it up. Loren Mercer, Mason County Pomona Grange #20, Olympia, Washington
This is our second year and we are very impressed with the quality of the dictionaries! Excellent program! Susan Storie, Rotary Club of New London Hyde Park, London, Ontario, Canada
We have done this project for about 5 years. We have received very nice letters written by many of the third grade students. It is a great program. Janet Steinke, Rotary Club of Lebanon, Ohio
The Rotary Club of Liberty has been participating in this program since 2002, donating a total of 1,581 dictionaries to local 3rd graders. Diane Huddleston, Rotary Club of Liberty, Texas
We have been participants in the project for the past 5 years. Each year we meet with the third graders at each school, telling them about the dictionaries, our project, and how to have fun using the dictionary. The arrival of the dictionaries is awaited by the new third graders since we have been distributing them for several years. It is a very worthwhile project and one we especially like doing. Sue Church, Kiwanis Club of Brooklyn, Michigan
This is our third year the Rotary Club of Oregon City has given dictionaries to each third grade student in the Oregon City School District. The district does the count and prepares the labels by school and classroom. Labels with each student's name are applied to the books at a Rotary meeting and then Rotarians deliver the books to each of the schools. The Rotarian takes the books to the respective classrooms and hands them out by reading each student's name and then gives the book to the student. Copies of the Spanish/English Dictionaries are also given to the bilingual students and teachers. Approximately 600 English and 50 Spanish/English dictionaries are given out each year. We think it is a FANTASTIC project and the students really seem to enjoy it and are VERY appreciative. We usually receive many cute and thoughtful Thank You letters from the students and teachers. Pam Bloom, Rotary Club of Oregon City, Oregon
Our Dictionary Day program is in its 7th year and provides a dictionary and lesson plan to every third grade student in Long Beach. Students are also given a coupon that encourages them to visit the library and receive a special Dictionary Day library-card-holder lanyard. Our main event is a celebration of the students' new dictionary skills and takes place at one of our branch libraries. Dignitaries come and enjoy watching the youngsters show off and compete against each other to look up words and use the dictionaries. This program is in partnership and made possible by a grant from the Earl B. and Loraine H. Miller Foundation.
Sara Pillet, Long Beach Library Foundation, Long Beach, California
We have been doing The Dictionary Project for 3 years now and any school that we've visited has asked us to come back each year.
Dianella Schutzengel, Rotary Club of Vienna, Virginia
This is our 4th year in this great project. There are no words to describe what an effect this program has on children. Keep up the great work. John Berger, Gilroy Elks Lodge, Gilroy, California
This is our ninth year participating in the project and we love it! The students and teachers look forward to this every year and are so thankful to have these great dictionaries. Joey Krawitz, Rotary Club of West End, Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania
We've been giving the books to children of the Pownal Elementary School for the past four years. The Dictionary Project is a great way to get a dictionary in the hands of children. Thanks for your all your work. Joyce Held, Pownal Historical Society, Pownal, Vermont
Enjoy for more than 7 years. Marge Hagy, Brewster Grange #1018, Brewster, Washington
To view more testimonials, visit our new testimonials page. |
