September 8, 2009 is International Literacy Day. Despite many and varied efforts, literacy remains an elusive target: worldwide, some 776 million adults lack minimum literacy skills which means that one in five adults is still not literate; 75 million children are out-of-school and many more attend irregularly or drop out.
Pi Phi's can take pride in the work they do to promote literacy. Pi Beta Phi has a long history of literacy efforts, beginning nearly 100 years ago, in 1912 with the founding of our settlement school in Gatlinburg Tennessee. Our philanthropic work continues through our partnership with First Book, which seeks to put a brand new book in the hands of every child. Other fraternity literacy initiatives include Arrow in the Arctic which fund libraries in Canada's north, CAR (Champions are Readers) a classroom reading enrichment program for third graders.
Local Alumnae Clubs and Pockets also have many literacy efforts within their own communities. Examples with Region Five include book drives for schools, hospitals, and women's shelters, as well as school mentoring and a book walk.
Thank you Pi Phi's for all the work you do to promote literacy! We are making a difference!
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