Project Transformation
Project Transformation (PT), our eight-week-long summer reading program, ended in July. The program served twenty children and was run by five interns. PT’s goal was to help kids avoid the summer slide, wherein children’s reading levels drop over the summer when they’re not in school. It will be a while before the Project Transformation office processes our data, and we learn if all our kids maintained or improved their reading levels. However, in the meantime, we can reflect on the program and on the improvements made to the Children’s Library this summer.
In preparation for Project Transformation, the church staff worked to organize and improve the Children’s Library located in the Rec Lobby. This involved labeling the books by grade level, putting up more signs, and creating new sections for graphic novels and young adult books. Only a week before PT started, we learned that the program had expanded to include youth (middle schoolers), so the development of a young adult section with chapter books for young teens and middle-grade readers was essential. We made an Amazon wish list of new and popular children’s books to update our collection and received nearly all the books we requested from our generous church members.
Volunteers from our church and other local churches came to serve during Bookworm Buddies’ time, when the kids would be partnered with adults to practice reading aloud to them. The children were wonderful – vibrant and funny kids from Booker T., Scotland Park, and other nearby schools. They loved reading graphic novels like Dog Man and funny books like Dork Diaries and Junie B. Jones. While reading was the focus, they also practiced writing, played games, learned dances, and did art projects. Their bright smiles made it obvious that they had a lot of fun.
Children’s Library Updates
Throughout the summer, the church staff continued to improve the library. We processed the books we received from our wish list and labeled more and more books by grade level. We were able to use a donation to get some new shelving, which allowed us to create a charming board books section. We also added shelf markers, colorful sticks to put in place of any book that is removed from the shelf. This should make reshelving easier in the future.
Caitlin McNeely has assumed leadership of the Children’s Library and deems it “a work in progress.” Although she’s proud of the headway she and her coworkers have made this summer, there are still books that haven’t been labeled yet and other projects she’d like to do, like creating a library catalog. She and Georgia Harrison served as the main liaisons for the PT interns, and they’re eager to improve the program next year based on the interns’ feedback. Some improvements may be expanding the library to include more books and more comfy seating, or adding a field trip for the kids at the end of the summer. This was the church’s second year working with PT and things ran much more smoothly than last year. With continued hard work, the program will surely improve next year as well.
In the meantime, be sure to check out the changes made in the Children’s Library – and maybe check out a book, too!
If you have questions about the Children’s Library or Project Transformation, contact Caitlin McNeely.