WAYNESBORO, Pa. — Librarian Jennifer Smith of Mowrey Elementary School beat out hundreds of teachers across the U.S. to make it to the final stages of a contest to win her dream library for her students.
Furniture maker KI will award four winners $40,000 worth of furniture to bring their designs to life.
The Waynesboro librarian designed her dream library with different colorful zones to support students with various learning styles.
"The design for the space is set to recreate the aesthetic of a coffee shop to encourage collaboration between learners and the Sonrisa furniture pieces provide them with an open workspace that can be redesigned to fit the specific needs of the task that is being asked of them," Smith's proposal read.
She created the space with the goal of filling a gap in the school's current offerings.
"This design is for a small rural school in south central Pennsylvania that at times finds it difficult to provide optimal learning environments for our learners," Smith's proposal continued. "This design would be a step in the right direction for providing a learning environment for our learners that would help them to take advantage of any opportunity that comes their way!"
The librarian emphasized flexibility in her design. She hopes the new library layout would help each individual student create the most comfortable, productive space for themselves.
Smith is up against two other finalists in the library category. Voting ends on Jan. 31; until then, votes can be cast online. The winner will be announced on Feb. 2.
