A partnership between Rotary District 6880, the Malone Family Trust of South Alabama and the Dictionary Project left smiles on the faces of third grade students all over Selma Tuesday.

Rotary Club member and Concordia College professor Zet Ncube, along with some of his students, braved the rainy weather and blanketed elementary schools to pass out the books.

While addressing students at Brantley Elementary School, Ncube stressed the importance of education and how the dictionaries can help the students expand their horizons. He also encouraged them to use the books as a reference tool often.

“We want you to take them home and use them because they are all yours,” he said. “If you need to mark in them, mark in them. If you need to write in them, write in them. They are not the school’s they are all for you.”

The Dictionary Project, Ncube said, is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization. The goal of the program is to assist all students in completing the school year as good writers, active readers and creative thinkers by providing students with their own personal dictionary. The dictionaries are a gift to each student to use at school and at home for years to come. The Dictionary Project gives 95 cents of every dollar donated toward the purchase of dictionaries.

According the Dictionary Project’s website, www.dictionary project.com, reading is the most important skill of all.

“It is the starting point for all the economic and social opportunities this world has to offer. Educators see third grade as the dividing line between learning to read and reading to learn. Every year we watch The Dictionary Project grow by expanding our pool of sponsors, so more children can enjoy the benefits of owning their own personal dictionary,” the site says.

Ncube said the group planned to visit every public and private school third grade class throughout the day to present dictionaries to each student.