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Dictionary Project sparks love of exploration in third-graders near and far THE OLYMPIAN | (excerpt) By John Dodge
My work desk is cluttered with notebooks, phone books, papers, mail and assorted studies and reference books, some of which haven't been opened in years. But there’s one book I use every day that never has a chance of gathering dust: my dictionary.
That said, you probably can guess that I’m a big fan of the Dictionary Project, a nonprofit program designed to get dictionaries into the hands of third-grade students nationwide. In the next few weeks, the Lacey, Olympia and Tumwater Lions clubs and the McLane Grange will be in third-grade classrooms in North Thurston Public Schools and the Olympia and Tumwater school districts, delivering dictionaries to all third-grade students.
Share The Plenty Community Dinner
Community dinner was a success Posted on Saturday, Mar. 21, 2009 The Olympian Thumbs up: Lions Clubs The Olympia Host Lions Club and four other South Sound Lions clubs joined forces a week ago to host a free community dinner. It was their first such effort and is greatly appreciated. After a successful fall apple sale that raised $10,000, the Olympia service club put $1,500 toward last Saturday's three-hour dinner at First Baptist Church in downtown Olympia. "We have a universe of abundance around us, and people need to feel that," club president Jan Norman said. Also assisting were club members from Lacey Sunrise Lions Club, the Olympia West Lions Club and members of clubs in Shelton and Tumwater. A majority of Saturday's diners were low-income and homeless residents, although the dinner was open to all residents. In this time of job losses, wage cuts and economic recession, it's heartwarming to see service clubs stepping up and reaching out to others with the offer of a free meal and a comforting word. ####### Olympia Based Project Teaches Flu Prevention Technique Nationally Karen Sell, Olympia Host Lions
“Never ignore the potential of a simple idea,” Olympia Host Lions Club President Jan Norman says of her club’s involvement in a nationwide health project that had its start right here in the south sound. Handwashing is listed by the national Centers for Disease Control as one of the best ways to limit the spread of disease, including the current outbreak of swine flu. Germ City, a Washington State University Cooperative Extension project on handwashing, was started in 1997 when Olympia Host Lions provided seed money to build the first prototype exhibit. “We started with three refrigerator boxes and some duct tape, but today, thanks in large part to early support from the Lions, Germ City has grown into a national program that has already reached more than a million youth and adults,” WSU Professor Susie Craig reports. Germ City programs now are active in 30 states, with some states purchasing as many as 16 units for use at schools, fairs and in restaurant staff training. The program includes curriculum, evaluation tools and support materials used by twelve universities. Germ City raises awareness of poor handwashing practices and the relationship to personal health by dramatically revealing “germs” left behind by poor handwashing techniques. Participants rub a black light sensitive lotion on their hands and view the “germs” by walking through a brightly decorated black light tunnel. After washing their hands, they re-enter the tunnel to see how well they did at removing the lotion. “The “germ” lotion has a coloring substance that shows up under the black light, allowing people to see where they missed when they washed - much like a dentist’s disclosing tablets can reveal problems with brushing, “ Craig notes. "We expected the kids to love it but adults are fascinated by the amount of "germs" left behind as well," she says. The Olympia Host Lions Club initially provided just $500 and matching in-kind support for a grant to get the project rolling. “That seed money and a lot of manpower and moral support from the Lions in those early years really gave us the impetus to get this project going,” Craig says. Partners in the Germ City project now include health departments, schools, nurses, senior citizen centers, community and military facilities, fairs, 4-H, food service operations and agencies including DSHS, Head Start, Agriculture and the FDA. WSU Extension is eager to work with Lions Clubs to get the Germ City exhibit out to more schools and fairs.
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