Oak Grove Elementary Librarian, Michelle Davis, applied for a competitive $3,500 grant through the Northeast Kansas Library System (NEKLS). The grant is to enhance digital citizenship curriculum. This month, she was notified that her application was chosen as one of the recipients. 

“The $3,500 allows us to purchase thirty picture books about digital citizenship topics like making online friends, online shopping, information sharing, taking a break from technology, when and where to use devices, and navigating online information. The funds will also be used for a class set of an upper elementary graphic novel that addresses disinformation. For parent checkout, we will purchase Digital for Good: Raising Kids to Thrive in an Online World. These items will be shared with the other elementary libraries in the district,” said Davis.

Northeast Kansas Library System (NEKLS) is one of seven Kansas Regional Systems of Cooperating Libraries. NEKLS is dedicated to providing universal access to library service through its 117 member libraries in the 14 counties of Northeast Kansas through the cooperation and peer support of NEKLS member libraries, and the assistance of the NEKLS staff of library consultants.

The goal of the NEKLS School Grant program is to help school libraries renew and/or expand their print and/or electronic collections during Fall 2023. It was open to any member school libraries in the northeast region of Kansas. Eighteen libraries were selected to participate in this grant cycle.

“School libraries deeply enrich the lives of students from kindergarten through 12^th grade and we are excited to hear about the results of these grant programs,” explained Michael McDonald, director of NEKLS.