“Imagine Rotary” Opens Doors to Learning for Elementary School Students

The Lamar Rotary and Interact members continued a unique tradition this past Thursday, September 14^th, by distributing just over 230 dictionaries to third grade students in various schools in southeast Colorado.

Judy Turpin, Lamar Rotary President, noted this year’s theme is, “Imagine Rotary”, believing that if we can imagine a better world, we can work it make it happen.

This year marks the 20^th anniversary of the distribution of a Scholastic Children’s Dictionary.  For many students, it may well be the first hard-bound book they’ve ever owned.  Some children at Parkview school, more used to social media and google avenues to find definitions, were exposed for the first time to the concept of a book that offered answers and solutions to schoolwork and everyday life.

This year’s project included 14 schools and 19 different classrooms including the four counties surrounding Lamar, Plus Kit Carson in Cheyenne County.  Members of the Rotary and Interact group were accompanied at Parkview School and Alta Vista Charter Schools by Dr. Chad Krug, Lamar Re-2 Superintendent and Lanie Meyers-Miriles, president of the District Board of Education.

By Russ Baldwin