It all started about 20 years ago. The answer to many of life’s questions wasn’t waiting to be Googled on a pocketed cell phone. So when a budding reader stumbled on a tricky word, they had only one place to go: the dictionary. Rotary Club of Aurora saw this as a perfect service opportunity, beginning a long-running book donation campaign. Once it was dictionaries, and now, thanks to a major fundraising campaign, the club is gifting $5,000 worth of children's storybooks to every third grade classroom in Aurora Public Schools (APS).
“Rotary is built on service above self,” explained Linda Witulski, president of the Rotary Club of Aurora. Of the club’s many community care items, literacy education is a cornerstone.
“We feel that if kids get a good reading background, it’ll carry them through the rest of their lives,” said Witulski, formerly a Gateway High School principal and currently a sponsor for Rangeview High School’s Interact Club. “We believe in kids. The secret is getting them to learn how to read.”
As for picking the books to be donated, the APS Learning Resources team offers a simple but sturdy philosophy: “If we help kids practice reading what they want to read, it will help them with what they need to read." Those experts work with classroom teachers to compile a list of books that both fit the curriculum and ignite the excitement of the students. That’s when the Rotary Club swoops in, buying books from the list and hand-delivering them in the classrooms.
“That’s the best part,” said Witulski. “Every single one of our members will tell you the same thing. Meeting and talking with the kids is as exciting as it gets.”
The students feel the same. Always amped for a classroom cameo, the third graders at Kenton Elementary School can hardly contain themselves when they see the gift bag packed with new stories. Excited as they are, the kids also know how important these books are for powering their potential.
Micah, a self-proclaimed “pretty good reader,” says reading is important “because it helps you learn things.” At first he’s overwhelmed when considering his favorite reading topics, but when pressed, he races to the bookshelf and raises one of his favorites, “Fly Guy’s Ninja Christmas.”
“I like that (Fly Guy) can say the boy’s name,” Micah said. Pointing to the colorful cartoon on the page, he makes sure there’s no way you’ll miss out on the joke. “Buzzzzzzz. His name is Buzz. Get it?”
Micah’s joy replays in the students of each classroom that Witulski has the pleasure of visiting. When she reflects on the project's impact, it’s with serious enthusiasm for the future. “Gives you hope in the world, doesn’t it?”