AASL awards five Inspire Special Event Grants

CHICAGO – Five school libraries from across the country have been awarded American Association of School Librarians' (AASL) Inspire Special Event Grants. Made possible by the generosity of AASL member Marina “Marney” Welmers, the grant program provides funds for public middle or high school libraries to plan a special event to enhance student learning.

The Inspire Special Event Grant provides up to $2,000 in funding to a school library looking to engage students with school library resources and promote reading, books, literacy, and authors. The funds can be used to create a new or enhance an existing extracurricular activity that will increase student achievement. A total of $10,000 is distributed to schools annually. The 2019 recipients include:

• Wendy Carrington, Northeast Bradford Jr./Sr. High School, Rome, Pennsylvania
• Melissa Cortese, Buffalo Academy of Science Charter School, Buffalo, New York
• Amanda Jones, Live Oaks Middle School, Watson, Louisiana
• Lori Quintana, Griffin Middle School, Smyrna, Georgia
• Anne Reis, Homewood Center, Ellicott City, Maryland

"The committee was highly impressed with the excellence of the events and programs being administered by all of the grant applications," said Rebecca Gordon, grant committee chair. "The selected applications will enhance students’ educational experiences and cultivate a culture of multiple literacies at the selected schools. The importance of creating a community of readers, the significance of the concept of 'mirrors and windows,' and the value of cross-curricular learning in school libraries are showcased in the chosen applications."

The AASL award winners will be honored at the AASL Awards Ceremony during the 2019 ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. The ceremony will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 22. All are welcome to celebrate the accomplishments of their peers during this recognition event.

The American Association of School Librarians, www.aasl.org, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), empowers leaders to transform teaching and learning.