Past projects 31
The Hugo Finalist, Mark Oshiro, Is Visiting Our Library!
Funded Dec 2, 2018Friday, January 11th was a special day at Lehman Educational Campus. After a brief visit during the 2017-18 school year, Mark Oshiro had published his heart-rendingly beautiful novel, ANGER IS A GIFT, and fulfilled his promise to return to speak to students. Excitement was high in the auditorium where students listened intently as Mr. Oshiro shared his background story and exclusive news of his works-in-progress.
Mr. Oshiro is a self-described queer Latinx author who told students that as a child he faced extreme mistreatment from classmates, some school officials and even family for simply being himself. Today, he is a well-recognized figure who has made a living following his passion for writing. Some LGBTQ+ students do not have supportive homes so meeting Mr. Oshiro gave them a firsthand affirmation of their identities; for heterosexual students, his experiences shone a light on the struggles some individuals face through no fault of their own and ideally increased their compassion to others.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gavin
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose.org Community and 12 other donors.Anger Is a Gift: Author Meet-and-Greet!
Funded Oct 17, 2018I fear I don't have the words to do justice to the sheer power of Mark Oshiro's visit for my students. The author opened up to students to tell them about the many "plot twists" along the way in his life and career; he captivated them with his story-telling; he enthusiastically answered questions ranging from 'how do I keep myself from writing stories that don't go anywhere?' to 'what advice do you have for someone who wants to get involved in activism in college?'
Mark Oshiro is a gem; I am so thankful that he volunteered to visit my students despite his busy schedule. Thank you all for making it possible to put brand-new hardcover copies of ANGER IS A GIFT in students' hands so they could have them signed as a tangible reminder of this very special day.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gavin
This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Arts Funder and 2 other donors.The Book Was Better!
Funded Mar 15, 2018Thank you so much for supporting our library!
The projector, speaker, and screen enabled us to finally launch a campus anime club which is bringing together students from different schools around their love of Japanese culture, manga, and anime. The library has a strong manga collection so an anime club was a logical next step for us. So far the club has been very popular, with students assuming leadership roles like Minster of Snacks and Lord Baron of Projectors.
In the future, we are also planning to screen book-to-film adaptations of well-loved titles like EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING and THE HATE U GIVE. This type of programming allows the library to grab students' attention, satisfy avid readers, and pique the interest of students who haven't yet realized how much they love reading.
Thank you again for helping us care for and grow our students' love for reading!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gavin
This classroom project was brought to life by Verizon and 2 other donors.Pop-Up Library on the Move!
Funded Sep 25, 2018"What happened to the library?" "When will the library open again?" I hear these two questions on a daily basis over and over again. (The answer is 'in the spring.') In the interim, I've set up a temporary mini-library space on the first floor and run two pop-up library spaces on different floors throughout the building to offer library programming to students from the various campus schools.
Students shrieked with delight when they unboxed the LEGO set and spent several consecutive lunch periods inventing new creations; the globe has been scoured to locate both countries of origin and dream destinations; and the mirror has become one of the premier sights-to-see on the building's first floor.
Infinite thanks for supporting our school's library programming!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gavin
Thinkers at Work!
Funded May 25, 2018Today a student explained to me that he avoids our school cafeteria as often as possible; he simply doesn't feel comfortable with the hundreds of students there at any given time. Instead, he spends most lunch periods in our library space. Last school year, we worked together to transform a dull, lifeless room into one of the liveliest places on campus; the building's "living room," as it were. This school year, our library is undergoing renovation so we did the same transformation inside of an abandoned computer lab.
The digital clocks have been massively popular, garnishing compliments from students and staff alike. It's easy for students to tell at a glance how much time they have before their next class, a sports team practice, or a club meeting. The color printer will be invaluable in our new library home to create custom buttons and library decorations.
As always, your support and appreciation are appreciated more than words can express.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gavin
This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Arts Funder and 6 other donors.Can't Stop, Won't Stop: Red-Hot Readers!
Funded Mar 27, 2018Thank you for supporting my students and our burgeoning campus library program! Early in the school year, I placed the book orders for all seven programs on campus to fill many of the gaps in our collection following years of under-use.
Once the library became established as a popular place to find and read interesting books, students began streaming in with list upon list of book requests: sticky notes, scraps of paper, emails, and notes on cellphone screens, all bearing the titles of books they hoped to find in our library. Where they were not successful, I asked them to write down their book requests on our Wish List clipboard and let them know that as soon as we had the money to purchase more titles, I would try to add their requests to our collection.
My students are delighted when they see the books they had requested in real life and are able to borrow them, enjoy reading them at home, and recommend them to their friends. Thank you for supporting my students' reading habits!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gavin
This classroom project was brought to life by Ripple and 4 other donors.Manga Mavens in the Making!
Funded Mar 27, 2018It would not be a stretch to say that our manga selection is among the library's most popular offerings. However, because the library had been underused in years past, many popular series were not available for students. Earlier in the school year, New York Public Library lent us a number of first volumes in many popular series. This allowed students to "test drive" the manga and helped me determine which series were popular among my students.
This project allowed us to add new popular series to the library's collection and to purchase new volumes in series that had already been established as popular. Within a few weeks, most of the books have already been checked out at least once and there is a waiting list for some of the copies.
Thank you for helping my students continue to love reading!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gavin
This classroom project was brought to life by Ripple.Healthy Minds, Healthy Bodies!
Funded Mar 20, 2018Historically, May is Mental Health Awareness month. Research indicates persistent
disparities in mental health status within communities of color. Recent news reports indicate that suicide is up among Black and Hispanic teens. While many factors that can exacerbate mental health issues are out of our control, I see it as part of the library's responsibility and mission to increase students' knowledge of mental health. Mental health issues are often stigmatized. Part of breaking that stigma is gaining accurate information about how the brain works.
Students also have a right to obtain accurate and reliable physical health information. This project helped us to grow our health collection to help our students develop healthy bodies and minds.
Thank you greatly!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gavin
This classroom project was brought to life by The First Million Fund and 12 other donors.New Year, New Books!
Funded Feb 1, 2018Thank you so much for your support!
In the fall, I attended NYC Comic Con to obtain freebies and giveaway items to distribute to students when they visited the library. Among these freebies was a "Love and Lies" poster. Unfortunately, the library owned zero volumes of this manga. Lehman HS Campus's manga lovers were besides themselves with delight when they saw that we had the first three books!
Students' reading selections are often influenced by their viewing habits. Recently, a television show called "Riverdale" has sparked renewed interest in the Archie comics so students have been requesting them. A film adaptation of "Another Day" was recently released so requests for this title spiked as well.
All of the new titles have now been checked out at least once; some currently have waiting lists. Thank you for supporting my students' reading pursuits.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gavin
This classroom project was brought to life by The First Million Fund and 3 other donors.Addicted to Reading!
Funded Feb 13, 2018Thank you so much for your support! The books arrived during our campus mid-winter break so when students came back to school, they were in for a great surprise!
Within hours, most of the requested titles had been claimed and checked out by excited students. Providing students with books that appeal to their interests helps to lay the groundwork for a lifelong love for reading.
Students flock to the library on a regular basis, make a beeline to the circulation desk, and ask if any new books have arrived. It was wonderful to be able to tell them "yes" and share the new titles with them. Thank you for making this possible!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Gavin