Working in the library of East Grand Rapids Middle School, Carol Dills has a spectacular view. The library’s tall windows overlook Reeds Lake, making the room one of our town’s most beautiful.
Inside the library, though, the non-fiction collection was in need of some sprucing up. So last fall, Dills applied for a grant from the Foundation to re-build the middle school’s inventory of non-fiction books.
The results have given students a whole new outlook. "Right now, our 6th graders are poring over all our new books as they research topics like outer space, diseases, climate change, teen activism, shipwrecks and more,” says Dills. “These vibrant new books provide up-to-date facts and information for their research projects. Our 8th graders recently used our new Andrew Jackson resources to research his life and presidency as they prepared for their mock trials."
Seeing students make use of the books her grant funded makes Dills’ view even better.
