Little Free Libraries at Public Bus Stops! Books for All!
Help me give my students the opportunity to engage with their community and provide books for all during the school closure by installing Little Free Libraries at 3 public bus stops!
My students are a diverse, dynamic, creative, insightful, empathetic, and amazing group of 3rd graders who make the world a better place every day. I am struck over and over again by the depth of their ability and desire to engage deeply with meaningful topics, to think critically, and to practice the important skills of respectful, honest discourse.
These remarkable kids are always on the lookout for opportunities to have an impact upon their community for the greater good.
They truly want to make the world a better, more kind place for all people.
My Project
Reading is critically important for brain development, academic engagement, and overall well-being, but many people do not have consistent access to books. Last year, my students and I raised money to build and install 3 Little Free Libraries at public bus stops in our town of Amherst, MA! In order to realize our goal, 3rd graders created a PowerPoint presentation of the project and presented it at Town Meeting! It was a truly engaging and empowering experience for everyone involved and one in which we learned about how our local government works.
As a teacher in the current climate, one of my primary goals is to find creative ways to help students feel/stay connected to their community even when we can't be together.
To that end, we would like to add 3 more Little Free Libraries to public bus stops in our district. The goals of the project for this school year would be to virtually present our project to the Town Council, to build and install the libraries (but wait to open/put books in them until the Covid-19 crisis is over), and to have an "opening" event over the summer or in the fall. In this way, my current students can have a connection to this ongoing 3rd-grade project. Further, we could work together to put books into the hand of as many people as possible. We have had a wonderful community response to the Read Around Town project so far and my students are excited to bring reading opportunities to more kids and families in our town!
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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. Perkins and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
