La Cañada Kiwanis Literacy Program

                The La Canada Kiwanis club undertook an effort to improve the reading skills  of underprivileged students.  Our Literacy Program involves Union Avenue Elementary School in the inner city of Los Angeles, California.  The program has three (3) grading periods, equally spaced through the school year.  Students in nine (9) second grade classes record their daily reading in their reading logs.  The goal is to read fifteen (15) books in each grading period.  When the students read fifteen books in the first grading period, they receive a book of their choice and a custom-made bookmark.  When fifteen more books have been read, the students receive another book of choice and a custom-made, colorful certificate.  With the last fifteen books read, for a total of forty-five (45) books, the students receive a book of choice and a trophy.  The school holds an assembly, with parents invited, of all the classes for the students to receive their books and rewards.  If a student exceeds reading forty-five books, a gift certificate of twenty-five dollars ($25) to Target is awarded.  All students participating are considered “Awesome Readers.”