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The United Way of Denton County has completed its annual Community Needs Assessment for 2024, reiterating the need for this grant within the Denton community. Only 39% of economically disadvantaged Denton County third graders read at grade level, so it is critical to encourage reading and literacy when a student begins their elementary school career. Reading to young children is a crucial way to help them build language skills. It exposes them to new words and ways to use language. It also helps them learn general information about the world. Books can help children build empathy and learn how to handle challenging feelings.
It has also been reported through the United Way needs assessment that for 15 consecutive years, the number of economically disadvantaged students in Denton County has increased. The current numbers show that 8% of Denton County Households live in Poverty, and 21% of Denton County Households are classified as ALICE families (Access Limited Income Constrained Employed). A family struggling to pay bills and fill basic needs cannot invest in book ownership for a home library. However, studies show that children who have books accessible at home are more likely to enjoy reading and have higher reading skills than those who do not.
To help encourage literacy through book ownership, we will purchase a book to be distributed to each incoming Kindergarten student entering Denton ISD for the 2025 school year.
Books will be purchased locally through our Independent Bookstore to support local economic development within the Denton Community. Through this program, Denton Rotary will look to purchase approximately 2,500 books for distribution through our partnership with Denton ISD.
Rotarians will be involved by serving on the committee and executing assigned tasks, such as collecting individual school head counts in coordination with DISD. They will track the project's financials. They will coordinate logistics, including picking up and distribution of books. All club members can be involved by supporting the project with monetary donations and sharing information about it with their circles of influence. A club social will be held, and each book will be labeled with a Rotary sticker before distribution. Club members will then help distribute books to schools as needed.
Sources:
https://www.unitedwaydenton.org/denton-county-needs-assessment
https://www.healthline.com/health/childrens-health/reading-to-children
https://junipereducation.org/blog/the-impact-of-owning-a-book/
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