Rotary Ideals Literacy Project educates children on four-way test.
The Rotary Club of Fairborn, Ohio developed the Rotary Ideals Literacy Project after visiting local schools to teach kids about the four-way test and feeling like the content they were sharing was falling short of their expectations. Together with ToKo Books, Fairborn Rotary created two children’s books as a way to talk about the four-way test and service above self. With more than 250,000 books now in print, this project has spread across the United States and Canada as annual service projects for clubs.
The project can be customized to the clubs’ funding levels and also to the local schools’ needs. Books, bookmarks and posters are available as well as lesson plans for teachers. Examples of how other clubs have utilized the two books, Andy and Elmer’s Apple Dumpling Adventure introducing the four-way test and Becky and Lin’s Apple Orchard Park demonstrating service above self, include:
- Book distributions, classroom readings
- Assemblies with someone dressed as Johnny Appleseed
- Planting apple trees at the schools
- Collecting apple-themed non-perishable food items for donation
- Building a mock business including the logo and an apple-picking machine
- Making apple dumplings
These activities and corresponding lesson plans are cross-disciplinary and ideal for second and third graders. The Lima Rotary Club is interested in gaging interest among members regarding the implementation of such a project in Allen County. If you are a member interested in serving on committee, or an educator with feedback, advice or ideas, please reach out to Lesley Fry at fry.182@osu.edu.
For more information, go to RotaryIdealsLiteracy.com