Birmingham Rotaract

In 2005, Rotaract chose literacy as its service project focus, targeting second grade reading comprehension after studies showed that age group was a critical time in a student’s educational development. Rotaract wanted to give young students the tools that they needed to become better readers, and direct access to more books in their classrooms was the obvious first step. From that idea, Rotaract’s “classroom library” concept was born in form of the Ready 2 Read program.

Rotaract, through Rotaract Club of Birmingham Foundation, has raised more than $200,000 for the program and in September 2008 each second grade classroom in Birmingham City Schools received a classroom library with 129 books. Rotaract members and volunteers delivered the books to each class and return to read once a month. In 2009, Ready 2 Read, was recognized by Rotary International as the 2009 International Winner of Outstanding Rotaract Projects. In July 2011, the Rotaract Club of Birmingham Foundation presented a check for $20,000 to its strategic partner, Better Basics, to continue the Rotaract Club’s commitment to its signature service project, Ready 2 Read.