The Dictionary Project

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The idea for the Dictionary Project began in 1992 when Annie Plummer of Savannah, Georgia gave 50 dictionaries to children who attended a school close to her home. She didn’t stop there. In her lifetime she raised the money to buy 17,000 dictionaries for children in Savannah, Georgia. Annie Plummer died December 23, 1999, but her dream did not die with her. She left an idea that has developed into The Dictionary Project, a nonprofit organization. Many people have implemented The Dictionary Project who have never heard of her. Since her death, over 1.25 million children have received dictionaries because thousands of people saw the same need in communities all over the United States. Arno French formed a 501 (c ) (3) nonprofit Association in 1995, along with a Board of Directors. The Dictionary Project’s original board members are still serving, they include Gregg Meyers and Barbara Massey.
Arno French appointed his wife Mary as the director of the organization.

The Board set a goal to provide dictionaries to all of the third grade students in South Carolina each year. In 1997, they expanded their mission to include all of the students in the United States. The purpose of The Dictionary Project is to provide dictionaries to students to keep to use as their own personal reference books. A dictionary is an essential tool for a quality education. Most children do not own a dictionary, nor do they have access to one in their home. This agency seeks to provide dictionaries to all of the children who are in school. The program is typically implemented in the third grade each year.

The goal of the Dictionary Project is to improve the reading ability and comprehension of all children, everywhere. It is our goal to encourage children to use dictionaries so that they will be able to use the English language effectively. A student cannot do his or her best work without a dictionary. By providing this tool we assist teachers in making all students active readers, good writers and creative thinkers.

The program has been adopted and refined by civic organizations all over the country. Groups such as Rotary Clubs, Kiwanis Clubs, Granges, Lions Clubs, The Republican Federation of Women and The Jewish Council of Women have implemented The Dictionary Project where they live. Anyone can participate in this project by sponsoring a program to provide dictionaries to children in their community. The dictionaries are a gift for the children to keep.

Students can use the dictionaries throughout their school career. Each year we offer new dictionaries that have been improved by sharing suggestions from teachers, students and parents with the publishers. The ideas we receive from sponsors, students and teachers are an integral part of this project because they give our Board of Directors direction. Research has shown that one book is shared by at least four people. A dictionary in the home serves as a resource for the whole family. It improves everyone’s vocabulary and it encourages children to learn more words.

The Dictionary Project is funded through donations and sponsors who introduce the program in their local schools. All donations and contributions are tax deductible. The Dictionary Project is registered as a 501 (c ) (3) nonprofit Association in all 50 states. Here is the link to GuideStar, if you would like to review The Dictionary Project tax return.

Feel free to contact our director Mary French, if you have any questions or concerns: wordpower@dictionaryproject.org.

Woman’s World: The Woman’s Weekly

She’s the dictionary lady!

If reading and writing scores suddenly go up in third grades across the country, it won’t surprise Mary French. She’s given dictionaries to 1.5 million kids! Dear Mrs. French, Thank you for the dictionary because really needed it. I will use it at school, at home and at the beach. I will even bring it in stores! Your friend, Taylor.

“The kids carry them everywhere,” says Mary.

Mary French of Charleston, South Carolina, loves this letter— and the thousands like it she’s received.

Nine years ago, Mary read a letter to the editor in her local paper that asked for dictionaries for children in poor and rural areas. And as a former school secretary and mother of two, she wanted to help. So Mary spread the word—and received a discount from a pub¬lisher and enough money in dona¬tions for 1,200 dictionaries! Mary decided to give the books to third-graders: “It’s the ideal time for kids to learn new words,” she explains.

“This is the best present anyone has ever given me,” said one nine-year-old boy, giving Mary a hug. “It makes me feel important.”

By the next year, Mary had doubled her donations of diction¬aries, becoming known as “the Dictionary Lady.” In fact, when her favorite dictionary was dis¬continued, she wrote her own!

Her dictionary is sent to kids in all 50 states, with donations totaling 1.5 million dictionaries.

“People tell me the kids carry their dictionaries like accessories,” Mary marvels. “They’re a fashion statement with real meaning!”

Rotary Participation and the Dictionary Project

We are very happy that this has become an annual literacy project for thousands of Rotary Clubs throughout the United States. Some people are still skeptical that this is an effective program. The Prince Georges Rotary Club in Maryland wanted solid evidence of the usefulness of dictionaires presented to third graders. Specifically, "What difference do the dictionaries make, and how do you know?"

To answer this question from an academic standpoint, how do the dictionaries impact test scores or student achievement in the classroom, is hard to gauge. We are a nonprofit organization not a for-profit educational enhancement program. Our mission is to provide dictionaries to the children so that they can enjoy the benefits of owning their own dictionary. The reach and scope of nonprofit organizations extends beyond the tangible numbers of statistics gathered from data. By our designation as a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization, the service, the gift of a dictionary, is provided to the students at no charge. This gesture generates goodwill because it shows the children that there are people in the community who support their education and want to see them succeed. We receive hundreds of notes and messages from our sponsors telling us how much they enjoy participating in The Dictionary Project because it is fun. We have received more than a million letters from children in all fifty states and in Ethiopia who tell us they are thrilled to have their own dictionary. The intrinsic value of the gift of a dictionary is priceless, as you can see from these letters from our sponsors and the students. You can also visit our Letters page to view more. What difference do the dictionaries make? Judge for yourself.

I can't imagine what would happen to a group of students who do not have their own dictionaries throughout the course of their education, because a dictionary is certainly a book that can open up such a world of learning. One of the best things to watch is a student writing his or her name in the dictionary and seeing how proud they are to own one. Hendrix College English professor, Dr. Alice Hines, Conway Morning Rotary Club

Last year was so successful and rewarding that our Foundation membership added Thesauruses for the fouth graders this year. In many cases the dictionaries given last year were the first book some children had ever received; this point alone tells you how successful this program is! Kiwanis Club of Golden Triangle, FL

Many of our third grade students have never had a dictionary and the children are soooo excited to get one of their very own. We have received wonderful letters from the children thanking us for their precious gift of words. Rotary Club of Shelbyville, TN

Last year there was not one student who had a dictionary before we gave them their own personal book. Rotary Club of South Louisville , KY

Last year the students were so excited and eager to look in their own dictionaries. The teachers were surprised and quite amazed at the student's excitement. If we can contribute to this kind of excitement and enthusiasm then we definitely want to do it. The Moody Lions Club, AL

This is the third year that our club has participated in this project and it is one of the most amazing projects I have ever been involved in. I never would have imagined the reaction that we would receive from the students. The shocked expressions when they learn the book has their name in it and that they get to keep it, the enthusiasm to see the sign language alphabet, planets, maps and other documents, the smiles, applause and hugs that we receive is truly heart-warming. Rotary Club of Lawton, OK

Our dictionary give-away this last year was an outstanding success. The children were so excited to receive their very own dictionaries. They no longer would have to check out from their school library a dictionary to use for homework. Rotary Club of Tacoma Narrows, WA

My club enjoys providing these dictionaries to the 3rd grade students in our area. The kids are so excited that people that they do not know, want to give them a great dictionary that they can keep! The dictionaries help the students with a variety of subjects and the concept of providing the dictionaries to the students fosters the "pay it forward" concept. These dictionaries will benefit the students in many subjects and for many years. It is always fun to present the dictionaries to the kids and see how excited they are to receive them and the excitment grows when they see the varied topics covered in the English dictionary section. We find it beneficial to provide the Hispanic students with both a Spanish/English dictionary and the English dictionary (primarily for the additional information provided after the dictionary section). We feel like we are making a difference in the lives of each student that receives these dictionaries. It is also fun when the younger brothers and sisters progress to the 3rd grade and tell us they wanted to receive the dictionary like their older sibling received because they liked them. This is a wonderful project that can benefit the students for years to come. These books are more than just dictionaries, the additional infomation contained in the English dictionaries provides the students help in many subjects. There are always a wide range of favorite topics chosen by the students. It is fun to see their excitement when they see all that the book contains. Verizon Pioneers, Pete Heiden, TX

The program is in its fifth year and should continue for a long time. This is because it is beneficial for children, affordable and an excellent method for the club to promote literacy and the concept of Rotary. We wish there were more projects like it. Rotary Club of Roselle-Roselle Park, NJ

Last year, we were held up for a few minutes by students who wanted autographs. It seems that the dictionaries had an impact on the students and the students had a BIG impact on my members. Great Program. Shorewood Kiwanis and Lac Ste Claire Kiwanis, MI

The Caledonia Kiwanis Club did this project last year and the students and teachers were all very excited. The kids use their books each week for assignments that are directly related to these books. The kids are excited and that is the absolute best part. They all have enjoyed the books and ASKED us to do it this year themselves. That is very rewarding for our Kiwanis Club to have the kids ask for the books. This has been an incredible motivator for the children in our 4 elementary schools and our 2 middle schools. We couldn't have picked a better project. Kiwanis Club of Caledonia, MI

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