Manhattan Konza Rotary Receives Literacy Awards

Assistant District Governor, Morris Greenwood, Topeka, presented Manhattan Konza Rotary President Debra Rodenbaugh with the President's Citation, which the club has earned for the last several years. The club was also presented with an Award for Achievement at the last District 5710 Conference. The Rotary District 5710 Literacy Coordinator, Kathy Gross, from the North Topeka Rotary Club, presented Konza Rotary with three more recognition awards: a District Literacy Award. There are 48 clubs in District 5710; a Zone Literacy Award, which is designated geographically by states from Kansas to Idaho/Montana down to Texas; and an Area Literacy Award, which comprises the entirety of the continent including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean Islands, as well as Eastern Russia. There are six designated areas worldwide in Rotary International. In a congratulatory phone call this morning for Konza Rotary made to Deb Rodenbaugh, Past District Governor Roy Browning noted the exclusivity of the 'Area Award', "We need to do some checking, but I believe Konza Rotary may be the first club in the district to receive an Area Literacy Award." In the submission for the Rotary Literacy Awards, the following projects were highlighted: • Participated in Dictionary project • Awarded two $500 scholarships to students to further their education at Manhattan Area Technical College • Awarded three $500 scholarships to Kansas State University and MCC international students • Program presented to Club by two staff of the Manhattan Public Library to update members on books, services, projects, events at the library • Purchased and donated (approx/projected) 32 books to the children's section of the Manhattan Public Library • Program presented to Club by Kansas State University Music Professor, Jana Fallin, who also writes books. She also provided information on the history of storytelling in Kansas, and brought copies of some of her favorite books to share titles/authors with members • Had two Club members travel and serve on the 2010 Panama Clean Water Project Feb/March, during which water purification systems were installed and clean water instructions, hand washing/sanitary life/health instructions were provided in both English and Spanish. On this trip, also provided five schools with pens, papers, pencils, erasers, coloring pens/markers, crayons, rulers. Partnered with the David Panama Rotary Club and Heart to Heart International. • Presented the 2010 Panama Project Powerpoint presentation to two Rotary Clubs, a public "Meet and Greet the Team" was held, and presented our efforts on the late afternoon news on WIBW TV Channel 13 with Ralph Hipp in Topeka. We stressed our efforts to teach healthier living, education efforts. Special guests for the Noon Rotary Panama presentation were non-Rotarians from Kansas State University International Studies faculty, high school Spanish instructor, international students, students from leadership studies. Contact information was collected from these special guests for future project partnering. • Konza Rotary participated in the "Newspapers in Education" program in which our Club provides newspapers and access to website curriculum to an elementary school in Manhattan's USD 383 school district. • Provided a scholarship to a Manhattan high school student to attend Rotary Youth Leadership Academy • Participated in Polio eradication fundraising and met our Club's $2,000 commitment to our District, which stresses healthy living, sanitation, in addition to vaccinations • Participated in Thesaurus project • Provided monetary support to the Foster Grandparents Program, an intergenerational program in which those children in the region who do not have grandparents living close by, are partnered up with senior citizens for mentoring, reading time, socialization, social interaction.