Grant Creates Library For Stillwater's Virtual Learners

STILLWATER, MN —Independent School District 834 elementary school students who are in 100-percent online classrooms now have an opportunity to borrow books at home thanks to a lending library program originally started by Brookview Elementary teacher Annie Johnson.

The program, which includes books for students at seven schools, was paid for with a $16,000 Big Impact Grant approved by The Partnership Plan's (TPP) Board of Directors. The grant was funded by the Mary Jo Weingarten "What's Best for Kids" Endowment and contributions from the Stillwater Sunrise Rotary Club.

The program launched initially at Brookview this past fall, when Johnson realized kids in 100-percent online classrooms were unlikely to have access to the same books as on-the-dial students. Many online teachers had packed up their classrooms and put their books in storage or left the books in a classroom now being used by another in-person teacher. Furthermore, Johnson realized that reading virtual books just wasn't practical or comfortable for virtual learners already spending much of their day online.

Initially, the Partnership Plan, which connects the community and its resources to ISD 834 schools, helped Johnson launch the lending library program at Brookview.

Almost immediately, the TPP staff began working with the district to replicate the program at the six other elementary schools. In January, a grant was approved that allowed the district to purchase sets of books for each school. When students eventually return to the classroom, the books from the lending libraries will help supplement the existing books at each school.