Youth & literacy
Within the Denver Cherry Creek Rotary Club, the Youth & Literacy committee supports K-12 students in leadership, culture, and literacy. Committee meetings are typically held online on the first Thursday afternoon of each month at 4:00 PM. All are welcome.
Imagination LIbrary
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Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has been a project of the committee for the past six years. This early literacy initiative prepares children for kindergarten by providing free books and encouraging parents to read to their children. The committee applies for grants and occasionally volunteers to support the Denver Imagination Library team with various tasks. |
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Under the watchful eye of Dolly Parton, Denver Cherry Creek Rotary Club members prepared almost 300 registration packs for Imagination Library of Denver. |
youth leadership
Each summer, our club supports the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, a leadership development program. Club members assist with recruiting, interviewing, organizing, and serving as senior counselors during a week-long residential experience. There, high school RYLA students, middle school students (Young RYLA), and students with disabilities (RYLA+) work on improving communication skills and exploring strategies to become effective leaders.
Our club funds about ten positions, with a total of $8,000. This is the second-largest program after the club’s dental mission. Several members help plan and oversee this program starting in early winter. They need help in the spring with interviewing students and acting as senior counselors at the end of the week-long conferences that happen in June and July.
interact club
Members support the Interact Club at Denver School of Science and Technology Cedar High School. This student-led Rotary club engages in volunteer activities with its school and community. Members of the Youth & Literacy committee provide advice and guidance.
barnes & noble book fair
On a Saturday in December, the Barnes & Noble bookstore hosts a book fair for non-profit organizations. Members encourage friends and family to shop at the bookstore. A percentage of each sale is donated to the club, which then gives it to an agency that supplies books for children. The club also uses some of the proceeds to buy books that visiting speakers sign at club breakfasts. These signed books are then donated to the Salvation Army’s Red Shield program.
personal narrative contest
Committee members organize a personnel narrative contest in December and January. Working with a public school teacher—perhaps sixth, seventh, or eighth grade—members help set a topic for the students to write about. In the past, students have written about the 2020 pandemic or immigrating to the United States. Members judge the narratives and host a celebration where selected students read the winning submissions. The club funds the awards and refreshments for the celebration.
project greer street
Project Greer Street promotes “high achievement among African American high school males by cultivating an academic ecosystem and eliminating roadblocks to their success.”
The Youth & Literacy Committee provides financial support for the Greer Street classes at East High, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson DPS high schools.
The Youth & Literacy Committee provides financial support for the Greer Street classes at East High, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson DPS high schools.
Kobzar Ukrainian Heritage School
Kobzar Ukrainian Heritage School opened in September 2024 to serve children as young as three who want to learn about Ukrainian language and culture. The committee received a grant for two students to attend the 2025/2026 school year. Teachers volunteer their time for Saturday classes held in Littleton.
