Rotary Club of Olean Promotes Literacy with Dictionary Donations to Third Graders

Since 2015, the Rotary Club of Olean, New York has proudly supported youth literacy by providing personal dictionaries to third grade students across Cattaraugus County. With help from the Cattaraugus Community Foundation, the club has now donated over 2,600 dictionaries, helping students build vocabulary, confidence, and a love for learning.

Club President Paula Bernstein shared, “We are reaching out in our community with a very positive program targeting literacy at the third grade level. The children enjoy having their own book, and the schools and teachers also appreciate what we do for the kids.”

Olean Rotarian and project coordinator Doug Price added, “It’s a real pleasure to visit the third graders. They are so excited to receive their own dictionary. It’s also inspiring to see our local teachers in action. We’re proud to contribute to this effort and hope to continue for years to come.”