Three years ago, the library maker space was born and students are so excited to use it. They thrive on inventing and problem solving as they work together in groups to play with the STEM resources we have. However, the library is lacking places to sit and collaborate, think, and work in group situations.
In the library, we serve the entire population at our school, which over 1350 students.
We have 6th through 8th grade. As a STEM magnet school, many of our students love to learn and explore the STEM topics inside and outside of class. They have a curiosity that compels them to engage in higher learning. They are also highly social and enjoy working together and teaching each other about their areas of interest.
Our school also has a Positive Behavior Intervention program that is growing. Many of those students struggle with behaviors and need a place to work on their social skills and learning outside of the classroom and the collaboration corner will provide that option for our PBI students.
My Project
Through grants, the library was able to start a maker space three years ago. We are missing a key element. The element we are missing is having alternative seating. We have traditional heavy library furniture that makes group work difficult. The collaboration corner needs to feel comfortable and inviting. The materials we have asked for include soft places for students to sit and ponder, chat, and invent and a rug to pull it all together. Lunch and break time is one of our most popular times in the library and we are in desperate need of comfortable places for students to sit and work together on maker activities or have a place to talk and collaborate on school projects. We have monthly STEM maker nights where students come in after school and have hands-on learning experiences that enrich the school curriculum. Having more places to sit and take part of the activities allows us to expand our maker programming as well as our lunch activities and options.
The library has always been a safe place for many students.
This project gives us the chance to make the library more comfortable and safe for students, as well as adding a collaboration corner to our current maker space. Having as many students as possible from all walks of life use the library and the maker space is one of our main goals. Our maker space is giving students a chance to grow, explore, and invent.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Armstrong and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
