Hello Fellow Rotarians,

We are very pleased to be able to provide this St Thomas Global Grant Application Update:

You may not recall, as your participation in this International Rotary Grant began over three years ago.

In the fall of 2017, hurricanes severely damaged the schools of St Thomas of the Virgin Islands. Based on the pleas for help from a West Geauga High School Alumni teaching on the Island, the West Geauga Interact club initiated a project to raise funds to support the recovery of the Island's Ivanna Eudora Kean High School.

By the fall of 2018, 19 District 6630 Rotary Clubs and 13 Interact Clubs joined with 2 St Thomas Rotary Clubs and the Ivanna Eudora Interact Club to raise $38,488.  We are now pleased to report that the Literacy Grant for St Thomas Ivanna Eudora Kean High School was fully funded. With matching funds from District 6630, Virgin Islands District 7020 and Rotary International, $109,938 will enable a 4-year literacy project to raise severely under-grade reading levels of St Thomas students.

This 4-year project will provide 900 Ivanna Eudora Kean High School students of St Thomas VI with the tools, resources and classroom instruction required to acquire the reading skills needed to secure the education, training, and life skills to contribute to their community and attain their life goals. Our goal is to have students graduating at the reading level required for college, career training or immediate employment.

This week, planning has been initiated to launch this literacy project with the school year beginning September2021.  The project has four core elements. (1.) Teacher training, (2.) reading books for all students, (3.) English classroom workbooks and (3.) the highly regarded online Achieve 3000 literacy solution. Achieve 3000 is used in 48 countries to ensure all students, especially the most vulnerable, continue to accelerate their literacy growth.

Your club's participation is greatly appreciated. Please share this exciting news with your members. It is another great example of how Rotary clubs join to impact lives around the world.  

Peter D. Tuttle

Membership Chair Rotary District 6630
Youth Chair Geauga West Rotary Club
ptuttle@ptcdi.com
216-470-4352