The Rotary Club of Glenview Sunrise program on Thursday, May 12th was a presentation by Rotarians Joyce Pottinger and Mary Pribyl describing their trip to Guatemala in February, 2011. Faculty and students from Glenbrook South High School and the Glengrove School who participated in the project were special guests and contributors at the meeting. The Rotary Guatemala Literacy Project trip delivered much needed textbooks and created computer centers in impoverished rural Guatemalan schools. The Rotary Club of Glenview Sunrise was a sponsor of the project at Paquisis School in the Department of Sacatapequez and was joined the Rotary Club of Glenview Luncheon in a Rotary matching grant to fund two computer centers. Rotarian Linda Diekman worked with students from the Glengrove Elementary School creating books and valentines which were translated into Spanish by the students at Glenbrook South High School and later distributed by the Literacy Project to students in Guatemala.

Guatemala is one of the most illiterate countries in the Western Hemisphere where two out of three people cannot read or write and many speak only one of the twenty-one indigenous languages. Children must learn Spanish in school, generally without access to textbooks. The goal of the Rotary Guatemala Literacy Project is to break the cycle of poverty through education. Recent research has demonstrated that children who participate in the Rotary textbook program demonstrate a 30% improvement in grades and a 70% improvement in comprehension of academic subject matter. After a student acquires computer skills their ability to find better paying employment doubles. The next Guatemala project tour for Rotarians and friends will be August 2nd-7th, 2011. Those seeking additional information regarding the Guatemala Rotary Project should contact Mary Pribyl at 847-729-6290 or visit www.guatemalaliteracy.org

The Rotary Club of Glenview Sunrise is affiliated with Rotary International, an international service organization whose mission is to provide service to others, to promote high ethical standards, and to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders. The Rotary Club of Glenview Sunrise meets weekly on Thursdays at 7AM at the Glenview Park Golf Club Café. The club invites members of the public interested in community service to attend a club meeting to enjoy our program and to learn more about Rotary membership. For more information, please visit our club website at www.rotaryglenviewsunrise.org or contact Richard Hill at 8475620199