We are pleased to present the 2018 Bow Valley College Distinguished Partner Award to Rotary Club of Calgary Downtown at convocation on June 20. 

The Rotary Club of Calgary Downtown was selected because they are a valued Bow Valley College partner who has an outstanding record of contributions to the community, and the organization reflects Bow Valley College’s values.
 
The Rotary Club of Calgary is an organization of business, professional, and community leaders who come together through commitment and fellowship to create opportunities and a better future for generations who follow.

Rotary Club of Calgary Downtown actively leads and supports a wide range of community initiatives and partnerships, including a focus on literacy programs, to enrich individuals and opportunities. The organization makes our community stronger.

“Without literacy, a person’s ability to move ahead in life is very limited,” says Lorne Larson, long-standing member of Rotary Club of Calgary Downtown’s adult learning committee. “Literacy is critical to individuals and to society as a whole, which is why we got involved as Rotarians.” He adds that the organization sees its role as “trying to help as many people as we can.” 

The Rotarians’ involvement with Bow Valley College allows the organization to reach more people.

“Anyone who is coming back to school has made a tough decision, and we are able to encourage them in that decision by helping them financially,” Lorne says. “When students receive funding for their education from someone they don’t even know, they understand that they are supported by the community.”

The Rotary Club of Calgary Downtown and Bow Valley College established a relationship in 1999, undertaking projects that target adult literacy, including:

• Rotary Club Literacy Bursaries
• Adult Basic Literacy Education (ABLE), which offers small class sizes and is free of charge to students who face financial barriers
• Supported Adult Learning (SAL, formerly Speech Assisted Reading and Writing-SARAW)
• The organization also supports other programs at Bow Valley College, including Artstream

This is from a Rotary Club of Calgary Downtown report to their constituency: 
 
“We deeply value the successful relationship we have with Bow Valley College. We have worked together with Bow Valley College on behalf of adults with disabilities and low literacy skills. We appreciate our partnership with them in promoting our ongoing support of adult literacy learners.”  

Rotary Club of Calgary Downtown has been involved with many organizations in Calgary, providing funding and volunteers for literacy initiatives, including: Language Instruction for Newcomers and English as a Second Language programs, and Calgary Public Library’s ‘It’s not a Crime to Read’ — which since 2002 has reached more than 11,000 children. In addition, Rotary Club of Calgary Downtown funds Stay-in-School initiatives that benefit hundreds of young learners across Calgary.

We congratulate Rotary Club of Calgary Downtown and look forward to a continuing fruitful relationship with the organization.


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Story by Anne Georg