Each third grade Whitehall Elementary School student received a dictionary provided by Elks Lodge #1491 as part of The Dictionary Project. This has been a long-standing tradition the students and members of the Elks Lodge look forward to each year. The dictionaries were coincidentally gifted near Noah Webster’s birthday, which was October 16. Each dictionary also included a bookmark to recognize Red Ribbon Week, a drug prevention awareness campaign that runs from October 23 through October 29, 2022. 

More About The Dictionary Project
The Dictionary Project was founded in 1995 by Mary French of Charleston, S.C. Its primary focus is to promote literacy to children in third-grade as they transition from learning how to read, to identifying and applying information. Over the course of the program, nearly 15 million third-grade students have received dictionaries. Elks across the nation joined the movement in 2004, and 600 lodges actively participate in the program.

The district and the students thank Elks Lodge #1491 for their continued support, and for continuing this educational tradition.