(Eureka)— The Humboldt County Office of Education (HCOE) Early Literacy Partners Program, in partnership with local Rotary Clubs, teamed up to provide over 600 books to TK-2nd grade students for the holidays who are part of HCOE’s YES (youth educational services) Homeless and Foster Youth Program. The goal of HCOE’s YES program is to support and help improve the educational outcomes for foster and homeless students in our local schools.
Three Rotary clubs and Humboldt County Superintendent of Schools’, Michael Davies-Hughes’ “Race Across America” project joined forces for this effort to provide three books (Walrus in the Bathtub by Deborah Underwood; Lots to Spot Under The Sea by William Potter and Can We Be Friends? By Erica Sirotich) to the students. For some of these children, these will be the first books they can call their own.
The clubs that participated in this event were Rotary Club of Arcata Sunrise, Rotary Club of Fortuna, and the Rotary Club of Southwest Eureka.
Superintendent of Schools Michael Davies-Hughes said, “I am thrilled that hundreds of students in our county will be receiving these beloved books. For decades, HCOE has enjoyed a strong partnership with our local Rotary clubs, and this joint effort clearly demonstrates the power of collective impact!”
Rotary is an international service organization whose stated purpose is to bring together business and professional leaders in order to provide humanitarian service and to advance goodwill and peace around the world. Many local clubs have made early literacy for children a top priority and mission in their collective efforts.
The Early Literacy Partners Program supports students in preschool through second grade who are reluctant or struggling with reading or math by placing them with community volunteers who work one-on-one with them during school hours twice a week.
For more information about the Early Literacy Partners Program or if you are interested in getting involved, please visit www.hcoe.org/elp or contact Olivia Kernen at (707) 445-7007.