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Homework = Literacy + Peace
Type: Story
Published: Jul 27, 2023
The Prahran high-rise public housing has many single mums from overseas with plenty of children running around. When Rotary Prahran started a Homework Club for one afternoon a week, I was sceptical and resisted getting involved. What could one hour a week actually achieve? As the number of kids turning up each week grew from 12 to 22, resulting in an extreme need for more volunteers, I bit the bullet and put my hand up (with a bit of an inward groan). My first impression was of controlled chaos. Usually, one child or another doing their best to be noticed. Multiple activities at once. The babble of adult and children’s voices intermingled. Pencils, paper, and books were everywhere. But despite the chaos, there is a structure that works: an insistence on good manners, provision of an after-school snack, tables for designated year levels, and a coming together for the final hour for group activity. But what turned me around to become an advocate for th
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September is Basic Education and Literacy Month
Type: Story
Published: Sep 03, 2020
September is Basic Education and Literacy Month when Rotarians focus on the goal of strengthening the capacity of communities to support basic education and literacy, reduce gender disparity in education, and increase adult literacy.Whilst there are many programs within Rotary that promote teacher training, student mentoring and adult literacy, education also crosses into a plethora of other fields. Education is the power that can break many of the world’s issues surrounding poverty, slavery and disease. Through education we can also reduce family violence and elder abuse and as Rotarians, set the example on gender equality and respect, and ensure our elderly live safely and with dignity.I urge everyone to read the Rotary Safe Families piece in this edition and click on the links: Family Violence and Elder Abuse so that you can help with cultural change on these two vital issues.The second Morning Tea with the DG is scheduled for this Saturday at 10.00 am, and along with a gre
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Early Years Literacy Development
Type: Story
Published: Sep 24, 2020
By Past District Governor Julie Mason AMBaden Powell College has students from Prep to Year 9 from over 60 different language groups from 40 different countries. Significant levels of poverty prevent families from providing reading material at home. Many parents have English as their second language and are not confident or literate in the English language.Whilst the College tried to purchase reading material in dual languages, it found such material difficult to source. Wyndham Rotarians have therefore been working with Baden Powell College teachers, senior students and parents from refugee backgrounds to purchase, translate and prepare picture storybooks in languages that support Early Years Literacy Development in students. As it had been difficult to engage parents, especially women from refugee backgrounds, in activities held at school, a plan was hatched to bring together senior students, parents and teachers to translate picture storybooks into
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Homework = Literacy + Peace
Type: Story
Published: Jul 21, 2023
As the number of kids turning up each week grew from 12 to 22, resulting in an extreme need for more volunteers, I bit the bullet and put my hand up (with a bit of an inward groan). My first impression was of controlled chaos. Usually one child or another doing their best to be noticed. Multiple activities as once. The babble of adult and children’s voices intermingled. Pencils, paper and books were everywhere. But despite the chaos there is a structure that works: an insistence on good manners, provision of an after school snack, tables for designated year levels, and a coming together for the final hour for group activity. But what turned me around to become an advocate for this project? I worked with different children but consistently a small Year 3 boy from Sudan would seek me out. He was a bright kid but didn’t like sitting still, found it difficult to stay focussed on the task at hand, and liked a chat. Very like my younger son which
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Long Serving Rotarian: David Abbey, Rotary Club of Essendon—it’s all about cycles
Type: Story
Published: Aug 14, 2020
David was born in Essendon, attended Essendon Grammar and studied Arts/Law at ANU. After being admitted, he took up a legal position in Echuca, planning to stay for a couple of years but staying for twenty!David joined the Rotary Club of Echuca in 1987 after a life-long connection with Rotary. His father, Royce Abbey, joined the Rotary Club of Essendon in 1954, the year David was born, and was President of Rotary International in 1888/89. David’s sister and son were exchange students, and David and his wife, Cindy, have hosted about 12 students. Rotary has been a life-long family cycle for the Abbey family.After Echuca, David worked in Shepparton for 17 years and was a member of the Shepparton-Central Rotary Club. He retired to Melbourne and now lives permanently in Fairhaven. Essendon Rotary has projects in The Philippines, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Peru. The club has trips to visit overseas projects, which are annual highlights. Domestically, the club
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Meet our 2020 Global Scholars
Type: Story
Published: Nov 20, 2020
By Past District Governor Keith Ryall, Chair 2017-20 Post Graduate Global Grant ScholarshipsThrough Global Grants, Rotarians support future leaders in fields related to our seven areas of focus:Peace and conflict prevention/resolutionDisease prevention and treatmentWater and sanitationMaternal and child healthBasic education and literacyEconomic and community developmentSupporting the environmentGlobal Grant scholarships fund graduate-level coursework or research for one to four academic years. A key feature of Global Grants is the partnership between the district or club in the study location (host sponsor) and the district or club in the scholar’s home country (international sponsor). There is no cost to a club nominating a graduate for these scholarships—they are funded entirely by the Rotary Foundation.Applications are invited each year from persons normally resident in Victoria and must be made through a Victorian Rotary club. The prestigious Glob
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April is the month for Environment
Type: Story
Published: Jul 05, 2023
MONTHLY THEME CALENDAR 2023-2024July: Maternal and Child Health MonthAugust: Membership and New Club Development MonthSeptember: Basic Education and Literacy MonthOctober: Community Economic and Development MonthNovember: Rotary Foundation MonthDecember: Disease Prevention and Treatment MonthJanuary: Vocational Service MonthFebruary: Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention MonthMarch: Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene MonthApril: Environmental MonthMay: Youth Service MonthJune: Rotary Fellowships Month
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Public Image and Communication
Type: Site Page Story
Published: May 28, 2019
Public Image and Communication Resources Creating Logo with Annual Theme
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Why Should You Have an Environmental Sustainability Project
Type: Story
Published: Aug 26, 2020
The environment we live in is critical to the health and well-being of all of us. It provides the air that we breathe, the water that we drink and supports the animals and plants we share on this planet. Loss of habitat, endangered species, polluted air, reduced water quality and the effects of droughts and bushfires are evident in today’s world. The environment sustains all life on Earth and Rotary cannot effectively or sustainably serve humanity without also focussing on supporting the well-being of planet Earth. Supporting the Environment as the new Area of Focus will enhance Rotary’s potential to develop, fund and implement projects to sustain the environment which we all live in. It gives Rotary members even more ways to bring about positive change in the world and increase our impact. It will complement the other areas of focus such as peacebuilding and conflict prevention; disease prevention and treatment; water, sanitation, and hygiene; maternal and c
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Grants Overview
Type: Site Page Story
Published: Aug 19, 2022
District and Global Grants Overview Stewardship What is Sustainability