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To wrap up our final meeting of 2022, our speaker, Programs Chair Mark Montgomery gave a presentation chronicling his 2021 service trip to Africa. He and his fellow travelers flew into in Tanzania. They visited a school in a local village where they had the opportunity to meet some of the students. Mark provided them with a dental hygiene demonstration and also donated toothbrushes and baking soda so they could properly clean their teeth. It was very evident that the children truly appreciated this lesson. Mark's next stop on his expedition was to Kenya. They visited a village where they were greeted with a vibrant welcome ceremony provided by the residents. They also met with the tribe elder and his family. Overall this trip to Africa was a heartwarming experience and the adventure of a lifetime.
The Laguna Niguel Rotary Club has completed its annual Dictionary Project for 3rd Graders. Every 3rd grade student in Laguna Niguel elementary schools--and select schools in Dana Point and Aliso Viejo--received a free dictionary from the Rotary Club. This project recognizes the fact that 3rd grade is a critical stage in a child's academic development. "From kindergarten through second grade, kids learn to read," says Dr. Bill Nguyen DDS, a Past Rotary Club president who spearheads the project. "But from third grade on, children read to learn." As a child immigrating from Vietnam, as directed by his father, Dr. Nguyen learned to speak English by reading the dictionary and memorizing 50 words a day. Dr. Nguyen shares this story with students each school the Club visits and the impact of this long term program has been validated again and again. "We've had several students approach us in the high school and college years to share their gratitude and tell us that they still have the dictionaries they received from the Laguna Niguel Rotary Club in third grade. It's a very rewarding to hear that," said Nguyen. 
Laguna Niguel, CA 92677
United States of America