This is the perfect time to plan ways your chapter and its members can promote literacy. Here are a few ideas to get the year off to a great start.

• Encourage children to sign the Children’s Constitution Week Proclamation http://www.dar.org/darnet/forms/PR-0006.PDF pledging to read the Constitution.
• Visit Jumpstart’s read for the record website http://www.jstart.org/campaigns/read-recordto sign up to read “Otis” by Loren Long on October 3, 2013. Jumpstart focuses on preparing pre-schoolers to succeed. More than 2.3 million people participated last year.
• Consider making bookmarks to publicize National Family Literacy Day on November 1, 2013. Visit the National Center for Family Literacy website http://www.famlit.org/for ways to help children and parents in low-literacy families.However you choose to promote literacy, remember to keep a log of book donations, monetary contributions and hours spent tutoring adults and children. Your time spent promoting literacy also counts toward the Celebrate America Committee. Plan now to submit your chapter and /or one of its members in the Literacy Promotion Contest. Forms can be found at http://members.dar.org/committees/literacy/forms.htm

Diane Stephens, Chairman
Literacy Promotion
DianeMStephens@aol.com