Col. (Ret.) Willie Banks and his wife Eunice began the Dictionary Project in Vernon Parish Schools three years ago.

The Dictionary Project is an international program which gives every student a dictionary of their own.

The project began in 1992 when Annie Plummer of Savannah, Ga. gave 50 dictionaries to children who attended a school in her area.

Between 1992 and 1999 when Plummer died she bought and donated more than 17,000 dictionaries to school age children.

The program that she developed by donating dictionaries has grown to an international program where third grade students world wide are given dictionaries of their very own.

The goal of the Dictionary Project is to improve reading comprehension of all children, world wide. It is their goal to encourage children to use dictionaries so that they will be able to use the English language effectively.

The Dictionary Project was not the Banks’ first venture in assisting the students of Vernon Parish.

More than ten years ago they decided to adopt a third grade class at East Leesville Elementary.

Three years ago they heard about the Dictionary Project and saw it as a way that they could help every third grade student in the parish.

Since then each year every third grade student in the parish is given a new dictionary of their own.

“We think that this is a wonderful program, it is just the greatest thing,” Banks said.

Vernon Parish Superintendent Dr. Cindy Gillespie recognized the Banks’ for their devotion to the students of Vernon Parish at a recent meeting of the Vernon Parish School Board.

“This is just a wonderful program,” Gillespie said. “I think it is wonderful for the kids. They are given a new dictionary of their own that they can take home.”