- The Dictionary Project
Infobox Non-profit
Non-profit_name = The Dictionary Project
Non-profit_
Logo of The Dictionary Project
Non-profit_type =501(c)(3) charitable organization
founded_date = May 1995
location =Charleston, South Carolina , U.S.
key_people = Mary French, Director
Arno French, President
Barbara Massey, Board Member
area_served = All 50United States ,Puerto Rico , the USVirgin Islands and several other countries
focus =Education
revenue = $2,815,231USD (Year Ending 12/31/06)
Non-profit_slogan = Learn to Read, Read to Learn
homepage = [http://www.dictionaryproject.org www.dictionaryproject.org]The Dictionary Project is a
non-profit charitable organization based inCharleston, South Carolina , U.S., and was founded by Mary French in 1995 to provide personal copies of adictionary for third grade students in theSouth Carolina public school system. It has grown into a national organization. To date - June 2007 - over 5.3 million dictionaries have been distributed to children in theUnited States and internationally. It is funded through individual donations and by sponsors who introduce the program in their local schools. All contributions aretax deductible . The Dictionary Project is registered as a501(c)(3) nonprofit association in all 50United States .Organization goals
The purpose of The Dictionary Project is to provide
dictionaries to students to keep to use as their own personal reference books. The project believes that a dictionary is an essential tool for a quality education and that a student cannot do his or her best work without one. A dictionary in the home serves as a resource for the whole family. It improves everyone’svocabulary and it encourages children to learn more words. This organization seeks to provide dictionaries to all of the children who are inschool . The program is typically implemented in the third grade each year.Organization history and growth
The idea for The Dictionary Project began in 1992 when Annie Plummer of
Savannah, Georgia gave 50 dictionaries to children who attended a school close to her home. In her lifetime she raised the money to buy 17,000 dictionaries for children inSavannah, Georgia . Annie Plummer diedDecember 23 ,1999 , but her dream did not die with her. She inspired the creation of The Dictionary Project, a nonprofit organization.The Dictionary Project was created in 1995 as a
501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based inCharleston, South Carolina . Its original goal was to provide dictionaries to third graders in the public schools in the threecounties surrounding Charleston, and this was accomplished in the 1995-96school year and every year since. In 2001 the project was expanded to cover the third graders in all ofSouth Carolina ’spublic schools .The project grew tremendously after it was featured in an article on the front page of
The Wall Street Journal onMarch 4 ,2002 cite news
title=Insider Editing at Wikipedia
url=http://www.dictionaryproject.org/wallstreetjournal.html
publisher=Wall Street Journal
date=March 4, 2002] This coverage brought national attention to the project and its founders, Mary and Arno French. As a result, individuals and groups from across the United States became involved with The Dictionary Project and sponsored the donation of dictionaries to children in their local schools.The project continues to expand and now includes sponsors in all fifty
United States ,Puerto Rico , theUS Virgin Islands , and several other countries. The program has been adopted bycivic organization and adapted to local communities through the sponsorship ofRotary Club s, BPO Elks,Kiwanis clubs,Granges , TelecomPioneers groups,Lions Clubs , the Republican Federation of Women, by educational groups such as PTAs, and by individuals. Anyone can participate in this project by sponsoring a program to provide dictionaries to children in their community.Sponsorship
Anyone can sponsor a project. Organizations and donors carry out their own
fund-raising activities, and then sponsor the donation of books in the schools or area they choose. The project asks its sponsors to commit time to deliver the dictionaries to the children in person and make a shortpresentation that shows them how to use the dictionaries. This brief visit lets the children know that there are people in their community who are interested in their education and want to see them succeed.Statistics
The project has grown dramatically since its beginning in 1995. Over 5.3
million books have been donated.Below are the figures for the number of dictionaries given to children in the past three years.
Awards and recognition
The Dictionary Project and its Director Mary French have been awarded several notable honors, including:
*the NFL/
Parade Magazine Community Quarterback Award (2003)*the Daughters of the American Revolution National Community Service Award (2003)
*the
American Red Cross , Carolina Lowcountry Chapter Neighborhood Hero (2002)*the
JC Penney Golden Rule Award (2000)*invitations to speak at conventions for
Rotary International , theNational Grange , and the TelecomPioneers.In addition, sponsors who have implemented the project have been recognized:
*The California Dictionary Project received a
Silicon Valley Impact Grant from theCisco .*Mr. and Mrs. Ormonde and Margaret Smith received the Gold Award from the Texas Association of Partners in Education.
*The Rotary Clubs of Arizona were commended by
Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano for their participation in The Dictionary Project.Media coverage
The Dictionary Project has been featured by
ABC News ,The Wall Street Journal , American Profile,KOTV News, andThe State (newspaper) .International projects
In the past year, The Dictionary Project has been receiving interest from international organizations wishing to expand the program overseas, as well as from US-based organizations who want to contribute to improving the education of school children in foreign and
developing countries through the use of theEnglish language . They hope to distribute more dictionaries to children outside of the United States in the coming years.Form 990 and tax forms
The Dictionary Project is a
501(c)(3) nonprofit organization registered in all 50 states. ItsIRS Form 990 and tax records are publicly available and can be obtained through the [http://www.guidestart.com GuideStart] website.Links
* [http://www.dictionaryproject.org The Dictionary Project] website
References
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