Rotary Club of Natick spreads the gift of literacy; giving dictionaries to nearly 400 third-graders

Since 2006, the Rotary Club of Natick has proudly supported Rotary International’s mission to increase literacy through its annual Dictionary Project. Each year, every third grader in the Natick Public Schools receives a personalized Student Dictionary of their own.

The dictionary is packed with more than just word definitions. The first portion serves as a traditional dictionary, while the rest includes a fun and educational almanac featuring sign language letters, the periodic table, facts about all 50 states and U.S. presidents, world maps, and even the world’s longest word.

Each book includes a customized bookplate with the student’s name, school, a link to the Rotary Club of Natick, and Rotary’s Four-Way Test—helping students feel proud to own a book made just for them and encouraging a lifelong love of learning.

This year, 384 students across four Natick elementary schools received their very own dictionaries!