Dictionary Day
A unique literacy project focusing on Oakland’s third graders, attending primarily under-resourced schools.

VFO has received generous grants from local non-profit organizations such as the Bernard E. & Alba Witkin Charitable Foundation, the Oakland Berkeley Association of REALTORS Community Foundation Grant Program, the Rogers Foundation, as well as donations from individuals. With these funds, we purchase up-to-date Dictionary/Gazetteers from the National Dictionary Project in South Carolina to give to third grade students in Oakland Unified School District (OUSD). The students themselves become the proud owners of these reference books. VFO Dictionary Day volunteers spend thirty-five minutes with each class, exploring the new dictionaries.
Every succeeding school year, we have increased the number of schools and students reached with this wonderful program. In the 2017-2018 academic school year, we brought Dictionary Day to all third grade classes in thirty-six of the fifty-four OUSD elementary schools, reaching 2,328 children.
Please consider donating or volunteering for Dictionary Day. It just takes 2 hours to change your community, whether that’s each week, each month, or just periodically. Volunteering with Dictionary Day is a wonderful opportunity for those who might have just a few hours to spend and who want to share in the education of third-graders in an exciting and fulfilling way.
Make a donation
Make this the year you commit to a cause that truly helps your community and that adds value to your life, too!
Volunteer
Testimonials
keep them until we go to college.
Thank you for the dictionary. I love it a lot.
I look for presidents and the American flag and other stuff to plot.
Thank you really very much. I will use it for vocabulary and such.
I will bring it home and read it to my parents. They will love it very much!
your time to get them. We will use them with respect and kindness.
Thanks again. You are going to make our third graders very happy!!