If a book is a friend for life, then the students at Lasley Elementary in Lakewood made over 2,000 new friends last week.
Thanks to Target Corp. and The Heart of America Foundation, Lasley won a complete library makeover unveiled on Friday, Oct. 28, with 2,000 new books, 10 Apple iPads, updated technology and new paint, carpet and tables. It took more than 150 Target volunteers six months to renovate the school’s outdated library space to make it the heart of the school.
“It’s a huge morale booster for all the kids, for someone to be so generous to give their time and their money to say ‘We care about what you’re doing.’” said Lasley Principal Debra Williamson.
For the staff at Lasley, the Target library makeover would align perfectly with the school’s efforts to increase reading proficiency with their students, Williamson added.
“We were really into it, and we were going to win this grant,” she said.
In addition to a completely renovated school library, each of Lasley’s 530 students received seven books to add to their book collection at home. For Lasley families, this is a way for students to share the reading experience with their parents and provide a way to work on their reading proficiency at home, Williamson added.
The school is now a weekly stop for Meals for Minds from the Food Bank of the Rockies, so students and families can receive food assistance every Thursday.
In March, the school applied for the program and was put in the top three schools in the Denver area to receive the makeover, said Sarah Seibel, a Target market captain working on the project. The selection committee looked at a variety of factors including student proficiency levels, free and reduced lunch count, population and community need.
“It was probably the hardest decision we’ve ever made,” she said of the process.
Target will do makeovers of 42 school libraries this year in its mission of giving back $1 billion to education by 2015. Since the program began, Target has transformed 118 elementary school libraries and given back a total of $22 million to communities around the country. The Heart of America Foundation is a nonprofit organization that combines the power of volunteers with the quest for literacy for all children.
The school also showcases an “Oprah tree,” which came from the trees donated to Oprah Winfrey by The Heart of America during the last season of her show, said Williamson. Lasley proudly showcases its tree outside the school.