The Flatirons Rotary Club of Boulder recently celebrated its Charter Night Dinner commemorating the Chapter’s charter to operate as part of Rotary International. Twenty-one years ago, Boulder Rotary, led by Norris Hermsmeyer, helped found Flatirons Rotary. It is now one of the 35,000 Rotary clubs worldwide with 1.2 million Rotarians whose motto is “Service Above Self”.
Brenda Lyle, founder of Family Learning Center Receives the Norris Hermsmeyer ‘Spark Plug’ Award from Rusty Houssiere, President of Flatirons Rotary of Boulder.
Brenda Lyle was honored as part of the celebration. Ms. Lyle is the founder of Family Learning Center, a grassroots community organization that was created to meet critical educational and socio-emotional needs of immigrant children and children living in poverty in Boulder County. FLC’s mission is to ensure every child and family has meaningful opportunities to achieve their highest potential in becoming educated and productive people. To attain that mission, FLC has been at the forefront helping educate poor and at-risk children and providing support services to over 1000 children and their families yearly. Their programs educate children from preschool through high school. FLC provides a constellation of comprehensive educational, health and wellness and family support services that help clear the path to upper mobility.
FLC has grown to become a robust human services agency and a leader at providing literacy through their Family Literacy Pathways to Self Sufficiency Program. FLC serves families with children preschool to 8 years old with meaningful integrated multi-generational programs.
As a tribute to Brenda Lyle as founder of Family Learning Center, Flatirons Rotary President Rusty Houssiere awarded Ms. Lyle the Chapter’s Annual ‘Spark Plug’ Award for the ‘Spark’ that Brenda provides to Boulder County’s low income and minority families and children – just as Norris Hermsmeyer was the ‘Spark’ in initiating the Flatirons Rotary Club.
As part of the entertainment during the Charter Night Dinner two volunteer Spellbinders® Storytellers entertained Rotarians and guests with cultural folktales that they have told to FLC children as well as elementary students in the BVSD. One of the FLC program activities is provided by volunteer Boulder Valley Spellbinders® Oral storytellers. This intergenerational literacy and storytelling program is another non-profit funded by Flatirons Rotary.
Flatirons Rotary of Boulder is proud to partner with these two non-profits in Boulder County in their shared mission to improve literacy and to help provide access to educational, health wellness education and basic needs.