July's Rotary Theme: Literacy
Illiteracy is behind all kinds of issues we see today, from gender inequality and unemployment to malnutrition and infant mortality.
by Rui Diemart.
32 million American adults can’t read: why literacy is the key to growth. Illiteracy is behind all kinds of issues we see today, from gender inequality and unemployment to malnutrition and infant mortality. by Rui Diemart. It is widely known that literacy — the ability to read and write — is tied to everything we do and our interactions in social situations. Literacy is the foundation to build essential skills to perform better in school and develop an interest in becoming a lifelong learner. It has a direct impact on one’s personal growth, economic welfare, and long-term well-being.
Even though it is common knowledge that literacy has a direct impact in people’s lives, there is a literacy crisis hiding in plain sight. Approximately 32 million adults in the United States can’t read, according to the U.S. Department of Education and the National Institute of Literacy. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found that 50 percent of U.S. adults can’t read a book written at an eighth-grade level. Illiteracy issues start long before eighth-grade. It starts before young children can talk. The literacy state is not any better for young children.
Two-thirds of America’s children living in poverty have no books at home, and the number of families living in poverty continues to rise. It is not difficult to imagine that children
who do not have access to books or read regularly are vulnerable to falling behind in school, which often leads to juvenile criminality. Childhood illiteracy poses a real threat to the economic growth and development of our society. Illiteracy is behind all kinds of issues we see today,from gender inequality and unemployment to malnutrition and infant mortality. It affects people all across the world and it has severe negative impacts on our workforce, the well-being of our communities, our economy and our day-to-day lives around the world.
Rui Diemart is a One Young World Coordinating Ambassador for the USA. She leads a large literacy program in Houston. Through the program, she has raised funds and distributed over 21,000 books to children in need in the Houston area.
Many Clubs in our District have literacy projects. Let us know what you are doing by posting on our District Facebook Page!