Our Signature Project
The Kiwanis Club of Pawleys Island Literary Project is dedicated to improving the literacy rate of children within the communities in Georgetown County. The literacy project started in 2017 as a much smaller project and has now grown into what it is today. We distribute 3 books each year, to all children pre-k through 3rd grade in the Georgetown county elementary schools. This equates to 15 books distributed to each child before they leave elementary school. Through this initiative it is our goal to help promote literacy and a love of reading at a young age. By supporting our fundraising efforts, you can help us provide the tools and resources necessary to help children succeed.
Currently, the majority of the schools being addressed have reading levels around 37.5%
- Andrews Elementary
- Browns Ferry Elementary
- Kensington Elementary
- Maryville Elementary
- McDonald Road Elementary
- Plantersville Elementary
- Pleasant Hill Elementary
- Sampit Elementary
- Waccamaw Elementary
- Mingo Creek Preschool
- Pawleys Island Christian Academy Preschool
- Pawleys Island Child Development Center
Our hope is to encourage them to continue reading and instill in them a joy for reading – because the possibilities are endless.
Before third grade, children are taught the mechanics of reading. From fourth grade onward, they must use reading to understand complex, content-driven subjects. If they cannot read proficiently, they fall behind in every subject.
- 88% of struggling readers in third grade fail to catch up later
- students reading below grade level in 3rd grade are four times less likely to graduate by age 19
- struggling readers often face lower self-esteem, reduced confidence and higher rates of disengagement
- Poor reading skills translate to limited job opportunities, lower earning potential, reduced economic mobility
- low literacy is strongly associated with adulthood poverty
- 70% of U.S. prison inmates are functionally illiterate
Since 2017, we have distributed over 50,000 books. In 2021 we started providing a personalized pillow with a pocket to all pre-schoolers. The pocket can be used to hold a book, and children are encouraged to sleep with it, and place a book in it to be read to at bedtime. As we visit the schools each year, many children remember us from receiving their pillow, and it becomes a cherished item. Our club’s Preschool Pillow project is designed to build a love for reading at an early age by celebrating reading. Each personalized pillow (embroidered with the child’s name) is distributed along with three age appropriate, new books in the pillow’s pocket, to start or continue a home library.
Our focus for fundraising this Palmetto Giving Day, is to raise the necessary funds to continue this critical project. Despite its success, the project faces significant financial challenges due to the rising costs of fabric, pillow forms, and books. As the demand from local schools grows, the program’s ability to serve every child is being stretched to its limit. Without a renewed commitment to fundraising, the club may be forced to scale back this essential service, leaving many children without the resources they need to thrive as developing readers. If you would like to give the gift of literacy and love of reading to a child, please consider donating!
PAWLEYS ISLAND KIWANIS 