State Sen. Ritchie Visits students who made Little Free Libraries
Alternative Education students at the Center for Instruction, Technology & Innovation have provided increased access to books for children in communities where Little Free Libraries (LFL) were not housed-- until now.
Those students in CiTi’s Project Explore program were tasked with designing and constructing six little free libraries after state Sen. Patty Ritchie secured funds for the North Country Library System to be used for some of the LFL construction materials. The NCLS then partnered with CiTi to create the tiny literacy homes.
Instructor KC Jones said students were able to use originality to plan their LFL: one resembles a firehouse, while others resemble miniature homes and others structures. Each one will also have a wood-burned “Little Free Library” sign so they are easily identified by future visitors.
“A lot of people will be happy with what you did,” sen. Ritchie told the Project Explore students during a recent visit to CiTi.
Their efforts will also add to the quality of life for people who plan to utilize the LFLs in the future.
All LFLs will be delivered to targeted communities throughout Oswego County before the end of the 2017-2018 school year. Each of the small literacy homes will also be fully stocked with books, thanks to a generous donation of both gently-used and brand new books from 10-year-old Brooke Trevett of Oswego, who runs the “Brooke’s Books” project. The LFLs will be maintained by local libraries.
While at CiTi, sen. Ritchie also visited the advanced metal manufacturing classroom with teacher Joseph Hawksby, Jr. She had also secured $50,000 in state funding for CiTi to purchase a CNC (computer numerical control) machine, used to cut, carve and slice with precision. The state-of-the-art equipment has been an asset to the AMM Career and Technical Education program.
Throughout her brief tour, sen. Ritchie was also joined by CiTi Director of Alternative Education Programs Ronald Camp.
State Sen. Patty Ritchie proudly stands alongside several nearly-finished
Little Free Libraries, constructed by Alternative Education students at the
Center for Instruction, Technology & Innovation, with funds she helped
secure for the North Country Library System.