Students at Kensington Health Sciences Academy have managed to build their own school library, thanks to support and contributions from the local community, writes Kristen A. Graham for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The library started as a single cart holding just a small collection of books. Today, it has grown into a full room that is filled with shelves of books, as well as tables, chairs, and computers.
From the very start, KHSA’s DreamEscape Library was conceived, built, and operated by students, who were determined not to finish high school without a real school library.
The community threw its full support behind the students, and after years without a library, the school now has one, complete with a budget to purchase new books.
“It feels amazing,” said Christian Toro, one of the founding members of the DreamEscape Library. “Now, we have a whole space to ourselves.”
When the library first started with a $1,000 seed grant, the founders had to encourage their schoolmates to read. To build interest, they created a social media account and generated a buzz, book by book. They went on to win $20,000 through the Philly Service Award’s Young Entrepreneurs prize, taking their project to a whole new level. Once the word got out, the entire community contributed.
Read more about the three students behind the creation of DreamEscape Library in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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