Rotary Reads, a new partnership between the Rotary Club of Birmingham and United Way of Central Alabama’s Success By 6, recently completed its first year in Birmingham City Schools.
The initiative brought Rotarians into all 50 pre-K classrooms across 27 elementary schools to read aloud and provide each student with a copy of Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems for their home library. A total of 864 books were distributed.
Rotary Reads is the latest investment in a 20-year partnership between the Rotary Club of Birmingham and United Way’s Success By 6, focused on improving preschool education in Birmingham. Since launching the Preschool Learning Initiative in 2004 in partnership with Success By 6, the Rotary Club has committed more than $1 million to early learning efforts, with a strong emphasis on reading readiness.
Rotarians kicked off Rotary Reads by visiting classrooms at Barrett, Glen Iris, Oliver and Richard Arrington Jr. elementary schools. During the school year, volunteers reached every pre-K classroom in the district, helping build excitement around books and reading.
According to La’Terika Smith, Early Learning Curriculum Support at Birmingham City Schools, teacher feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
“They love having readers visit their classrooms. “The students look forward to the visits, and it brings so much joy and enrichment to the day.”
– La’Terika Smith, Early Learning Curriculum Support at Birmingham City Schools
This year’s Rotary Club of Birmingham Foundation grant also supported:
- Distribution of 4,500 books throughout the year.
- A “Getting Ready for Kindergarten” calendar for all pre-K families in English and Spanish.
- A professional development series for BCS pre-K teachers, with topics including character education, behavior strategies, family engagement, mental health and grant writing.
- Help Me Grow care coordination for BCS families.
Through Rotary Reads and the broader Preschool Learning Initiative, the Rotary Club of Birmingham Foundation and United Way of Central Alabama are strengthening early childhood education and helping Birmingham’s youngest students build a strong foundation for future success.