Clarice Marchena receives AASL Innovative Reading Grant to implement enrichment book club program

CHICAGO — Clarice Marchena, school librarian at Dos Puentes Elementary School, in Manhattan, New York, is the recipient of the 2015 American Association of School Librarian’s (AASL) Innovative Reading Grant. Sponsored by Capstone, the $2,500 grant supports the planning and implementation of a unique and innovative program for children that motivates and encourages reading, especially with struggling readers.

Dos Puentes Elementary School is a Spanish/English dual language public school, serving children primarily from lower economic backgrounds. Until now, Marchena has had to focus her time and energy exclusively on intervention with children with reading difficulties. With the Innovative Reading Grant money, Marchena will be able to implement weekly Enrichment Book Clubs in the school library for students who are reading at the top of their grade level. Students will learn advanced skills in reading comprehension, graphic organization, and vocabulary development in a book club setting.

The grant will allow Marchena to purchase much needed higher level books to reach a specific section of the student body that will extend their literacy ability in both Spanish and English. Students who have completed the Enrichment Book Clubs program will go back to the classroom and work with their peers to share knowledge and model learning. The program successfully launched in January 2015, and will continue throughout the school year.

"It was a general consensus among the committee members that Enrichment Book Clubs application was well-laid out, included a well-explained budget and had a very defined need,” said Committee Chair Sharon Carvell. “It was clear that the writer cares about the project and believes in its potential."

The AASL award winners will be honored at the AASL Awards Ceremony during the 2015 ALA Annual Conference in San Francisco. The ceremony will be held from 9 – 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 27. All are welcome to celebrate the accomplishments of their peers during this recognition event taking place prior to the AASL President’s Program.

The American Association of School Librarians www.aasl.org, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), empowers leaders to transform teaching and learning.