Andy & Elmer Reading Project and Dictionary Program

Bringing “Literacy and Values”
to 2nd and 3rd Grade Classrooms - 
via READING!

The Rotary Club of Mechanicsburg-North is committed to an ongoing partnership with the Cumberland Valley School District, where Club members have the opportunity to have a positive impact on local young people. The Andy and Elmer Reading Project and Dictionary Program reach over 1,000 second and third graders locally each year.

Andy and Elmer Reading Project

In 2008, a Rotary Club of Mechanicsburg-North member, an educator and retired elementary school principal, learned about Andy and Elmer’s Apple Dumpling Adventure. The Rotary Club of Fairborn, Ohio commissioned this book in 2005 to honor their 75th anniversary.  The story, written and illustrated by recognized children’s author, Andrew Shoup, uses Rotary's Guiding Principles- the Four-Way Test - to teach young children about business ethics.

In December 2008, with the Club's support, she initiated a partnership, program and lesson plan for a class of second graders in the Cumberland Valley School District. Now an active and ongoing program, Rotary Club of Mechanicsburg-North volunteers read the story to every second grade class in the District's seven elementary schools, reaching 26 classrooms and 520 students annually.

In addition to the actual reading, the Rotarians reinforce literacy skills and good citizen behaviors during the lesson.  After the reading is completed, an activity book is given to each student in the classroom to keep.  A bookplate located on the inside cover explains that it is given to the child compliments of The Rotary Club of Mechanicsburg-North. This book contains a retelling of the story in coloring book format as well as various activities that reinforce The Four-Way Tes

Third Grade Dictionary Project

The Rotarians who read the Andy and Elmer Story to the second graders also present dictionaries to each student in the 26 third grade classrooms, reaching approximately 560 students each year. At the time of the presentation, the Rotarian reviews The Four-Way Test that students heard about as second graders the previous year. Each dictionary, (ordered from the National Dictionary Project) has a bookplate from the Rotary Club of Mechanicsburg-North.