Our Nation’s Treasure in Our Classrooms

Reader Commentary | nvdaily.com https://share.google/ID7SjLRoYHy6gvtXQ

I grew up lucky. Adults took the time to guide me, teach me, and nudge me forward. I learned tennis because older people invested their patience and skill in me, and that attention shaped the course of my life. In the late 1970s, while I was teaching tennis, I began volunteering—what I called happy returns. 

Giving back has given me a purposeful life.Over the years—from major schools to my early days at Bryce Resort in 1980—I’ve taught children and adults, freely giving thousands of hours of instruction. My reward comes when former students return years later to thank me. 

Building community is priceless. Our greatest national treasure is the attention we give our children.Recently, I volunteered at Robinson Elementary School in Woodstock. Watching a first‑grade teacher command a room full of six‑year‑olds—balancing discipline, curiosity, and joy—reminded me how demanding and noble this work is. Holding a child’s attention is no small task. It is an act of service, patience, and love.

Illiteracy in children creates a massive, multi‑generational burden, costing the U.S. economy up to $2.2 trillion annually. For individuals, low literacy often means a lifetime of reduced earnings. More than 50% of U.S. adults—roughly 130 million people aged 16–74—read below a sixth‑grade level, and 21% are considered functionally illiterate. Nearly 43% of adults with the lowest literacy skills live in poverty. Taxpayer‑funded schools spend more than $2 billion each year on students repeating grades. Low literacy leads directly to lower productivity, higher healthcare costs, and increased crime.

That same spirit of service animates the Literacy Excellence and Achievement Program, a partnership between Shenandoah County Public Schools and the county’s four Rotary clubs. Launched in late 2025, LEAP pairs volunteers with students who need individualized literacy support. It is simple, human, and effective. A countywide book drive benefiting LEAP will run May 25–August 8, 2026, with collection points throughout Shenandoah County—a chance for all of us to put books, and hope, directly into children’s hands.LEAP’s early results tell a powerful story: 540 volunteer hours contributed by 41 volunteers; more than 90% reporting the program was purposeful and effective; 82% planning to return next year; and 94% recommending others join. These numbers reflect something deeper than participation—they reflect a community that understands what matters.

 Volunteers saw real change in students: more enthusiasm for reading, stronger relationships, improved fluency, and a visible rise in confidence. When adults show up, children respond.Our well‑being is tied to mentoring and taking time with our children. 

But the truth is simpler: the future is sitting in our classrooms right now. It is sounding out words, raising small hands, and waiting for someone to notice. We need more people to step forward and meet this critical demand.

We must look to our schools, our teachers, and the volunteers who quietly give children the one thing every young person craves: attention. That is our national treasure. And it grows only when we give it away. Everyone longs to belong. Come volunteer, help create a stronger community, and plant seeds for the future.