FARMINGTON — Farmington Rotary is proud to work with area youth to raise aspirations and improve our community.

Last week, Farmington Rotary president Sue Pratt presented a $1,000 check to Kole Cousineau, who accepted it on behalf of Mt. Blue High School’s Blue Crew robotics team.

Another project that benefits youth is the Little Free Library project that Rotary and Kenny Brechner of Devaney, Doak & Garrett Booksellers are partnering on. Eight “literacy houses” are being built for area schools and they will soon be filled with galleys that the bookstore receives. Galleys are advance copies of books used in the publishing business for promotional purposes.

The intent is for students to pick up the galleys to own, borrow or share. Brechner is in the process of setting up an online hub where the children can compare notes about what they’ve read and continue the conversation through the school district.

The creation of these little houses has truly been a collaborative effort.

Farmington Rotarian Dennis O’Neil had all the parts cut out, and Mt. Blue High School teacher Jake Bogar and his pre-engineering students at Foster Career and Technical Center burned logos into the houses. All the metal bases were constructed by Rob Olsen’s students in the metal fabrication program at Foster CTE Center.

Rotarians Pauline Rodrigue and Al Feather will organize an assembly of the houses at the school once all the parts are completed. They will work with students from the high school Interact Club and the University of Maine at Farmington (UMF) Rotaract club to create the final product.

Farmington Rotary is open to all. Check out a meeting and see what Rotary is all about. Meetings are held Thursdays at 7 a.m. at the North Dining Hall on the UMF campus. Follow its activities on Facebook.

Literacy Boxes will soon be on display at area schools as a result of a collaboration with Farmington Rotary and Devaney, Doak & Garrett.

Copy the Story Link