School Library Journal and Scholastic Announce 2020 School Librarian of the Year
School Library Journal and Scholastic Announce 2020 School Librarian of the Year Cicely Lewis, Meadowcreek High School Librarian and "Read Woke" Creator from Norcross, Georgia, is Honored |
[30-March-2020] |
NEW YORK, March 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Cicely Lewis, a school librarian at Meadowcreek High School in Norcross, Georgia, has been named the 2020 School Librarian of the Year by School Library Journal (SLJ) and Scholastic, the global children's publishing, education and media company. The award recognizes K–12 library professionals for outstanding achievement and the exemplary use of 21st-century tools and services to engage children and teens toward fostering multiple literacies. To learn more about Cicely and the School Librarian of the Year Award, visit: https://www.slj.com/SLOTY2020. In her role as school librarian, Cicely creates programming that celebrates the diversity of her more than 2,600 students and their 240 teachers. She is the founder of Read Woke, an initiative encouraging students to read books that challenge a social norm or the status quo, give a voice to the voiceless, have a protagonist from an underrepresented or oppressed group, or provide information about a group that has been disenfranchised. The movement has sparked meaningful conversations schoolwide and has even gone global, reaching as far as Canada and Norway. Cicely encourages her students to be active members of their library community. They provide one another with reading recommendations and utilize the media center's modern offerings, such as exercise bike desks and glass study rooms with projectors, to learn, collaborate and be creative. Cicely hosts energizing events throughout the year to engage students, including a book fashion show that shines a spotlight on powerful reads, Tech Woke projects where students use technology to learn about social justice issues, and a virtual reality experience during Black History Month where students "travel back in time" to learn about pivotal moments in Black history. Outside of the media center, Cicely visits districts nationwide to advocate for the importance of libraries and certified librarians in every school. As School Librarian of the Year, Cicely is featured on the cover of the April 2020 issue of SLJ, and will receive a suite of awards from Scholastic, including $2,500 cash and $2,500 worth of digital or print products for her library, and an invitation to the 2020 Scholastic Independent Reading Summit, a professional learning conference designed to provide educators with the latest practices and research for encouraging independent reading in their schools. Meadowcreek High School students will also receive free books as part of a special literacy event with an in-person visit from the Ambassador of School Libraries for Scholastic Book Fairs, John Schumacher (@MrSchuReads), and a Scholastic author. Quotes: Kathy Ishizuka, Editor in Chief, School Library Journal About the School Librarian of the Year Awards: About School Library Journal: For more information about Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL), visit the Company's media room at http://mediaroom.scholastic.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/school-library-journal-and-scholastic-announce-2020-school-librarian-of-the-year-301031091.html SOURCE Scholastic | ||
Company Codes: NASDAQ-NMS:SCHL |
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