The Snapdragon Book Foundation would like your help to fund one more grant this year! Storm Lake Middle School is our “Next Up” school for 2019, the school that would have received a grant if we had the funds back in April. We will provide them with 100% of the money donated to The Snapdragon Book Foundation in October.
The Snapdragon Book Foundation is collaborating with SLMS to raise $3,000 to fund their project, Diverse Students Need Diverse Books #OwnVoices. This project empowers students to help select books to update the library collection so it more accurately reflects the diverse student population.
Storm Lake Middle School is located in a growing midwest community and serves almost 700 students. The vast majority (83%) of these students are not Caucasian. Over half of the 5th through 8th graders are Hispanic and another 20% are of Asian descent. Three quarters of the students qualify for free or reduced lunches and about the same are English Language Learners. However, almost all of the volumes in the library have Caucasian protagonists and authors. To address this incongruity, 3rd year librarian Joanna Freking-Smith has proposed the #OwnVoices project. Library Student Leaders will collect and provide input on what diverse books and perspectives are missing in the library. Working together with Ms. Freking-Smith, they will ensure that all students have their voices heard and are able to take ownership in their library. Books that mirror students’ lives and books that provide windows into others’ lives will be prioritized. Books that include the LGBTQ population are in scarce supply and will also be purchased with the proceeds from the Next Up fundraiser. Ms. Freking-Smith is excited about the immense impact this funding would have on the school and knows that the books will help students feel comfortable in their own skin, make connections with literary characters, and love reading.
With your support, The Snapdragon Book Foundation’s Next Up campaign will be able to help the students at Storm Lake Middle School by fully funding their project, Diverse Students Need Diverse Books #OwnVoices. Through the end of October, we will digitally broadcast student testimonials, updates about the “Next Up” fundraiser, and more information about Storm Lake Middle School on our social media feeds. Please check them out, share our posts, and support the cause by donating today!
