Warren Tweedy, the principal of Andrew Jackson Academy, said he believes his school’s newly renovated library will be a motivator for his students to excel.
The school was the first of 46 Prince George’s County Public Schools to have its library redesigned as part of a joint project led by Heart of America and Pull Up Fund. The project, which is expected to finish early next year, aims to renovate libraries by providing new furniture, technology and learning materials.
Tweedy told The Diamondback he was “ecstatic” to be able to improve the school’s library. He’d previously tried to renovate it, but budget cuts forced him to use the money he had put aside on other necessities. As part of the renovation, Tweedy chose new paint colors and motivational sayings in English and Spanish to be displayed in the space.
“When you’ve dealt with antiquated and dilapidated things, sometimes you just get accustomed to it because you may not have the funds or the resources,” Tweedy said. “But now the kids can say, ‘I have just like the others do,’ and they have the opportunity to be their best.”
Pull Up Fund, which is based in Prince George’s County, provided a multi-million dollar grant to improve libraries within the county, according to a news release from Sept. 10.
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Schools were able to request library improvements through a form given to them early last school year, according to Coquette Petrella, PGCPS’s library media staff supervisor. The project will not make any structural changes to the libraries but they receive new paint and furniture, she said.
Many of the schools whose libraries are being renovated have not been improved since they were initially built, Petrella added.
Most of the planning for each school’s renovation was done over the last school year, according to Jill Hardy Heath, president and chief executive of Heart of America — which aims to transform education.
Hardy Heath said employees visited each school to measure the space and form a better understanding of what they need. They also met with principals, librarians and students to get their input on what they wanted in their libraries.
Each library renovation is expected to take 12-14 weeks to complete, according to a Heart of America news release.
The initiative will also build an additional library aimed to improve professional development for teachers and librarians within the district. The library will be built in an already existing administrative building in Landover, according to Hardy Heath.
Heart of America will also provide different tools for students to use, including 3D printers, robotics kits and media production equipment.
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Petrella said giving students access to technological equipment can help them develop new skills and expose them to different career paths.
“We’re living in a time where technology is at our fingertips,” Petrella said. ”It’s important for our students to continue to be exposed to technology and be able to use it and be able to know how to navigate different types of technology.”
As part of the project, schools also receive new books to include in their libraries. Hardy Heath said her organization met with students, teachers and librarians to get a better understanding of what books best represent the school’s population.
“We’re not replacing entire collections, but rather infusing new, culturally relevant books, and they will be able to choose what types of books,” Hardy Heath said.
Tweedy said he has seen his students be more excited to learn and hopes learning in an updated environment will motivate them to pursue higher education.
“These little things help build the child. Build them to want to learn,” Tweedy said. “I think it’s going to help be a motivator for them to say, ‘I can and I will, because I did have the best, even though I was in a community that may not have it all.’”
