A.R. Johnson Magnet School wins $20,000 grant to renovate media center

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of A.R. Johnson Principal Emily Driggers. The story has been updated.

With the help of Box Tops for Education, a small group of A.R. Johnson students are giving their media center a modern makeover.

The Richmond County magnet school was awarded $20,000, which will be used to renovate and redesign their media center into a "Library Learning Commons."

Principal Emily Driggers said during a news conference Thursday that the announcement was made by Box Tops in November and it was decided that their media center was in need of some help in that the current layout and facilities "prevent students from being able to cooperate, from working in small groups, from being able to share their ideas."

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They also wanted to turn this opportunity into a different kind of educational experience, so it was turned over to Elaine Ward and her STEM students.

"It was up to them. They had to come in and take measurements, figure out the space, and the only specifications they had was that they couldn't take out all of the book cases and the furniture that they want has to come from the approved sites for school furniture," Ward said.

"STEM" stands for "Science, Technology, Engineering and Math" and STEM programs involve teaching unique, hands-on, methodical lessons that offer students practical, real-world applications. One of these students is seventh-grader Scereil Owens, who said researching and finding affordable furniture has been difficult, but it means a lot to be so involved in this big project.

"I wasn't into the engineering/design process as much at first, but now that I'm fully engaged in redesigning the library, I've gotten into it a lot more," Owens said.

While the STEM students are taking the lead on this, they are surveying the rest of the student body so they can make sure everyone has a chance to contribute to the overall vision. The library's media specialist Laurie Grove primary advise going forward for the students is that they give the Library Learning Commons flexibility.

"This was built 20 years ago for students from 20 years ago. The computer stations, we don't need them, but they're glued to the wall," Grove said. "So, when they're looking at what they're picking out, they need to make sure it can transform as the students transform."

The project is in its early stages and a date of completion has not been established yet, but Driggers said the funds are already being put into use this semester.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: A.R. Johnson school media center in Augusta wins $20,000 from Box Tops