One School at a Time: Michiana Christian Academy wins Martin’s $1,000 grant

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - Black History Month is an opportunity to teach and learn about black culture in this country and around the world. At Michiana Christian Academy in South Bend, the school library will grow to include more books that celebrate diversity thanks to a $1,000 One School at a Time grant from Martin’s Super Markets.

“I love to read. It makes me really happy and it’s just really relaxing,” Jamille Kariuki, 8th grader, said. “I like reading different genres because I feel like each different genre brings you to some place new.”

The students can choose from plenty of titles and topics.

“I like mystery, action and sci-fi,” Patience Kohler, 7th grader, said.

She enjoys taking a break from the world.

“It makes me feel like I have a place to go when things are like stressful downstairs, I go up to my room and I just start reading,” Patience said.

This small library already has books featuring people of color and different cultures, but they wanted more.

“We could definitely transform this library even more than it’s already come into,” Jason Craft, Operations Manager, said.

The money from Martin’s will help this library add more books that celebrate diversity.

“Diversity is important. Because representation matters. Literally, (it’s) the foundation of democracy,” Craft said.

They will add more books that feature characters of color in stories that appeal to all.

“Kids of different complexities can see books with kids that look like them because there’s not a lot of that,” Archie Patterson, Administrator, said.

And that kind of recognition matters.

“They can see that then they go on experiences in books that they may not be able to do. And increase their knowledge through those books,” Patterson said.

Knowledge and understanding….shared among friends.

“It just gives everyone else just a bit about some other culture or race that they may not completely understand,” Jamille said.

If you would like to nominate your school for a One School at a Time grant, click here to enter: One School at a Time - Nominate Your School (wndu.com)

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