1. AREA OF FOCUS Basic Education and Literacy [presenter] [date]
Today, 57 million primary school-aged children are out of school. And 774 million adults still cannot read or write – two-thirds of them are women. In this area of focus, Rotarians carry out service projects that improve basic education and literacy for children and adults and create opportunities for communities to provide higher quality education. Through this work Rotary strengthens the capacity of teachers and generates educational opportunities for children and adults in impoverished communities.
Some of the key ideas that we hope to convey today revolve around the question, What are the common project types in basic education and literacy? Additional key points to consider for most successful projects, whether they’re funded by grants or not, are generally sustainability, measurability, and community ownership, because ultimately our work must be long lasting and holistic.
We will also discuss the ideal project lifecycle, review grant eligibility guidelines, and point out resources available from Rotary.
[presenter]
[date]

2. Introduction to Basic Education and Literacy
Basic education at the community level
Rotarians around the world are involved in projects that improve education for all children and literacy for children and adults by:
Building the capacity to provide basic education and literacy to all
Working to reduce gender disparity in education
Providing scholarships related to basic education and literacy
Rotarians around the world are involved in basic education and literacy. Some of the ways they engage their communities are by:
Involving the community to support programs that strengthen the capacity of communities to provide basic education and literacy to all
Increasing adult literacy in communities
Reducing poverty in underserved communities
Supporting studies for career-minded professionals related to basic education and literacy, so that they can further expand the work conducted by Rotary (graduate scholarships)

3. Common Basic Education and Literacy Project Types
Adult Literacy
Teacher
Training
There are many ways to carry out a project that will impact the basic education and literacy of your community:
Provide teacher training in teaching methodology, classroom management, or other topics as identified by teachers
Develop formalized adult literacy programs
Create a structured after-school tutoring or mentoring program
Create blended learning opportunities through use of technology in the classroom
Technology

4. Common Basic Education and Literacy Project Types
Water in Schools
You can also:
Reduce gender disparity in education
Improve water, sanitation, and hygiene conditions in the school and community increasing enrollment and school retention
Assist teachers to understand curriculums distributed by the ministry of education and to develop innovative ways of teaching current curriculums
Curriculum Development
Girls Education

5. Project Lifecycle
We understand that each service project is unique: some are large in scale, some are small. Some use Rotary grants to help fund them, and other projects are funded by clubs or districts.
However, there’s one thing all successful service projects have in common: a “lifecycle.” This graphic shows the lifecycle of a service project. As you can see, the key areas are:
Planning
Acquiring resources
Project implementation
Evaluation and promotion
While we won’t be discussing the lifecycle in detail, you can find more information on rotary.org.

6. Leveraging Knowledge: RAGs and RCCs
Rotarian Action Groups (RAGs)
Rotarian Action Groups (RAGs) leverage their expertise in their particular area of interest to support clubs and districts.
The Rotarian Action Group for Literacy (LitRag) raises awareness of illiteracy and helps Rotarians increase the scale and effectiveness of their literacy projects.
Rotary Community Corps (RCC) Rotary Community Corps (RCC) is a team of non-Rotarians who are flexible partners of service for Rotary clubs. RCCs offer community solutions for community issues. RCCs can offer key insight into the intricacies of the local economic market and functions.
A Rotarian Action Group is an autonomous group of Rotarians, family members, and Rotaractors who are experts in a particular field, such as disease prevention or basic education and literacy. Group members share their expertise by assisting Rotary clubs and districts with their humanitarian service projects.
The Rotarian Action Group for Literacy (LitRag) raises awareness of the severity of illiteracy throughout the world and its effects on the quality of the lives of individuals, families, communities, and nations from generation to generation. LitRag helps Rotarians, Rotary districts, and The Rotary Foundation increase the scale and effectiveness of their participation in the alleviation of illiteracy.
A Rotary Community Corps (RCC) is sponsored by a Rotary club. RCCs implement creative and sustainable solutions to meet a wide array of their community’s needs, which can align with Rotary’s areas of focus or a particular community concern.

7. Global Grants with The Rotary Foundation
Global grant eligibility requirements
Sustainable
Measurable goals
Align with an area of focus
Respond to real community needs
Actively involve Rotarians and host community members
While Rotary clubs frequently fundraise and carry out projects without seeking a grant from The Rotary Foundation, a global grant can be a wonderful opportunity to leverage support for large, sustainable, international projects. To be eligible for funding, a global grant project must be:
Sustainable, which means the activity continues after grant funding has been spent
Measurable, with an established process for tracking and reporting on project results
Aligned with an area of focus that meets The Rotary Foundation’s goals and activities
Responsive to real community needs that are identified through a community assessment
Led by Rotarians who have built a relationship with community members in the project location

8. Global Grants Scope for Basic Education and Literacy
Scholarships
Capacity Building
Vocational Training
Supporting graduate level studies in:
Classroom education
Educational policy design
Program development in education
Training for school staff and teachers
Development of school management committees
Basic reading and writing courses for adults
Training on official language of a country for newcomers
There are many types of projects that can support basic Education and literacy efforts, such as:
Providing scholarships
Capacity building
Vocational training

9. Basic Education and Literacy Resources
Communities in Action : A Guide to Effective Projects
Please take some time to check out these basic education and literacy resources. They provide great information you can use to start next your basic education and literacy project. Go to the Rotarian Action Group for Literacy website at
Community Assessment Tools
An Introduction to Vocational Service
Rotarian Action Group for Literacy

10. Global Grant Resources
Terms and Conditions for Rotary Foundation District Grants and Global Grants
Grant Management Manual
Areas of Focus Policy Statements
Rotary’s Areas of Focus
Also, check out these global grant resources when you’re considering your next project. You can find all documents at rotary.org.
Questions?

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