What:    Students paint Little Library gifted through Book Buddies program
               Little Library constructed by Lanier High School students 
                   
Who:     Kelly Allen, Herff Academy principal
               Cristina Noriega, SAISD Foundation
               Herff Academy students

When:    Dec. 18 (Fri) – 9:30 a.m.

Where:   Herff Academy, 996 S. Hackberry St.

Herff Academy is the first of five schools to receive Little Libraries through the SAISD Foundation’s Book Buddies program this school year. The Little Library will be installed on Thursday in a grassy area near the school’s front entrance. Herff AVID Students will begin painting on Friday morning to personalize the gift to a match a theme selected by the campus.

The Little Library initiative is a collaborative effort that includes students both on the creation side and the receiving side. The Little Libraries are being handcrafted by construction students at Lanier High School. The first five schools to receive the libaries are Herff, Franklin and Bowden academies, and DeZavala and Margil elementary schools.

The SAISD Foundation, in addition to coordinating the initiative, is providing paint kits for the students to use on painting day to ensure the libraries are weatherproofed and will last for years to come. The foundation also is stocking the new libraries with a variety of K-8 books in both English and Spanish. Joeris General Contractors sponsored the materials, and the SAISD Facilities team is installing each of the libraries.

“It means the world to us to see everyone coming together to make this project a reality,” said Cristina Noriega, alumni engagement and volunteer manager with the SAISD Foundation. “Little Libraries are a natural extension of the Book Buddies program, which provides free books for SAISD students in grades PK-8. It allows children to start and grow their own libraries at home.”

After the students have finished painting their new Little Library, the foundation will install an engraved nameplate to recognize all the sponsors.

To learn more about Book Buddies, visit https://www.saisdfoundation.com/book-buddies/.