In March 2022, Columbia Primary School librarian Stephanie Stringer submitted a grant proposal to the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. On Sept. 8, the foundation announced that Stringer's proposal was accepted and she was awarded $2,000 for books for the library at CPS.
Stringer learned about the grant at a library conference, where a book representative told her about the easiest grant you can write. This is her second time being awarded this grant.
She researched the average copyright date of the books in the CPS library and found it was 2011. She wanted it to be in the 2020s. She wrote up a sample of about $1,000 in books for the grant, and in the next month, she will add another $1,000 worth of books to the order.
Stringer will be ordering books for three sections of the library. The 800 section includes poetry, literature, plays and jokes and riddles. The 300 section includes fairy tales and manners. The third section is the easy section, or picture books. She is trying to get books from the last three to five years to increase the average copyright date.
"We are so proud of our librarian, who is passionate about our students reading books that will help them become lifelong readers," Assistant Principal Julia Foxworth said. "Our students love reading, so we are excited that we get to offer them contemporary literature here at school."
When the books arrive, which should be soon, Stringer plans to introduce students to them through a book tasting fair. The books will be presented in a dining area setup with tables covered in tablecloths, plates, flowers, etc. Each table will have a theme, and students can sit and read as if they were sitting and eating. Getting a taste of the books will hopefully encourage them to check them out and read.
Dollar General awarded $70,000 to nonprofits, libraries and schools in Mississippi as part of more than $3 million awarded across the nation to help bridge the gap between learner's needs and the resources of programs by providing books, technology, equipment or materials to youth programs for education.
"The Dollar General Literacy Foundation’s work to help individuals pursue their dreams and educational goals stands at the forefront of the Foundation’s philanthropic passions, and we are proud to extend our ongoing commitment to support youth education through today’s grant announcement,” Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s chief executive officer and Dollar General Literacy Foundation chairman, said. “We understand the challenges educators and literacy programs may face and are proud to invest in local literacy and education initiatives to further demonstrate our mission of Serving Others.”
