In the summer of 2002, Rotary Club of Sun Lakes Rotarian Dwight Grotewold visited the Rotary Club of Logan, Utah, where he learned about their innovative elementary school initiative known as “A Dictionary for 3rd Graders.”
Drawing on his experience as a former K-12 teacher and his recent retirement as Vice President of Admissions for the University of Colorado, Dwight championed the idea and presented it to the Rotary Club of Sun Lakes board and the club members.
The proposal was approved for implementation during Rotary year 2003-04 with Dwight leading the way with fundraising and all club members helping in a “sticker work projects” to prepare the dictionaries with stickers showing the Rotary International logo,
The Rotary 4-Way Test, RCSL Club label depiecting who made the donation possible, and a Rotary Book Mark. RCSL continues its legacy of education programs by again distributing over 6,000 dictionaries in 2026 to 3rd graders in the Chandler Unified School District and Gila River Indian Community.
Photo, from left: RCSL Rotarians Debbie Bailey, Chloe Hanken, Penny Rings, Sharon Flood, and Ann Diamond gathered at Hamilton High School to prepare labels that will be inserted into the 6,000 dictionaries that will be delivered by RCSL members and friends in 2026. Not in photo: Neil Cutler and Jim O'Connell.