(May 26, 2021) Students at Mary McLeod Bethune School No. 45 and Helen Barrett Montgomery School No. 50 will benefit from grant money awarded by the Laura Bush Foundation. These two schools will each receive $5,000 dollars to diversify its library collections, offer more dual language titles, and add more books to both schools’ digital libraries.
205 schools from across 43 states were awarded similar grants that total more than $1-million-dollars. Former First Lady Laura Bush made the announcement earlier this month on “The Kelly Clarkson Show.”
Many of the grant recipients’ library collections are outdated, averaging approximately 20 years old. Some of the libraries will use the funds to update their collections and provide books focused on diversity and inclusion. The librarians for schools No. 45 and No. 50 are Cathy Buyer-Davis and Janet Bird. Both individuals spent a significant amount of after school time writing the grants for these two schools.
Funds will also be used to purchase books from the Laura Bush Foundation summer reading list. Superintendent Lesli Myers-Small said, “With students having access to technology at home, we are seeing more interest in digital access to library resources for both academics and enjoyment. We are very grateful to the Laura Bush Foundation for their willingness to support literacy in schools and at home.”
A former librarian and teacher, Mrs. Bush and her foundation support school libraries with the greatest needs with the goal of encouraging all students to develop a love of reading and learning. Since its inception in 2002, the Laura Bush Foundation has awarded more than $16 million-dollars to more than 2,800 schools across the country.
