Students in the Transitions Program have started working on a new school library to gain hands-on experience and encourage more reading. Students picked up different roles to get the initiative started, from making flyers to asking for book donations and creating a database of the books that are in the library. They are accepting book donations that fit the Middle Grade, YA, biography, and Non-Fiction genres.
Students in Wendi Wence’s careers class can use this library as a way to gain new skills, which can be added to resumes they are creating in the class. Wence’s goal for the library is to “create a diverse selection of books so all of our students feel represented, but also to learn about lives different from theirs.”
In addition to learning new skills, such as designing library cards and a sign-out method for the books, students can use this library to explore books they’ve never read or to learn about experiences different from theirs. “They say books serve as either mirrors or windows: mirrors to reflect back a shared experience, and windows to open our minds to new experiences,” says Wence.
