{"id":29314,"date":"2026-08-27T12:01:03","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T16:01:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/?post_type=story&p=29314"},"modified":"2026-08-27T12:01:04","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T16:01:04","slug":"clark-education-students-create-cozy-library-inside-worcester-elementary-school","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/27\/clark-education-students-create-cozy-library-inside-worcester-elementary-school\/","title":{"rendered":"Clark education students create cozy library inside Worcester elementary school"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

\u2018It\u2019s so important for kids to know that someone cares about them and wants to pick books that reflect their experience\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Teachers at the Columbus Park Preparatory School, just a mile from the Clark University campus, have a new way to support their students in becoming lifelong readers. Eager to make an impact and share their love of books, Gwenne Balcius \u201926 and Maggie Connors \u201926, MAT \u201827<\/a>, built a cozy, ocean-themed \u201cbook nook\u201d at the elementary school last winter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Initially, the community, youth, and education studies<\/a> majors wanted to build a Little Free Library<\/a> on the Clark campus, focusing on politically minded texts. Conversations with mentors and collaborators inspired the pair to expand their idea and focus on local elementary students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOpportunists that we are,\u201d Balsius says, \u201cwe started asking around to see if we could make this a reality. [Former Clark librarian] Laura Robinson, a mentor and friend, helped us gear it more toward youth, so we started reaching out to community organizations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They started collecting titles, and their rooms were piled high with books until they started collaborating with Beth Orsini, founder of independent bookstore Hygge House Books<\/a> and head of the store\u2019s nonprofit arm, the Community Book Nook Initiative<\/a>. With a fundraising campaign, some grant hunting, and Orsini\u2019s storage space, Balcius and Connors got to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"dozens<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"cushions<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Last December, Balcius, Connors and several volunteers \u2014 including Education Professor Eric DeMeulenaere<\/a>, fellow Clark students, and a few people from the Community Book Nook Initiative \u2014 spent two days making the charming library a reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOn the first day, even some Columbus Park students were helping us move chairs,\u201d Balcius says. \u201cMost of our time was spent sorting through the preexisting books in the space, finding which ones were good quality and in good shape. Our priority was giving these students culturally relevant works. Part of our research has been focused on the impact of meaningful texts for kids who are non-American, non-white, or who speak other languages.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the books kids can flip through at Columbus Park include \u201cRemember Us\u201dby Jacqueline Woodson, \u201cHow Do You Say? \/ \u00bfC\u00f3mo Se Dice?\u201dby Angela Dominguez, or \u201cParachute Kids\u201dby Betty C. Tang.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Columbus Park Principal Lisa Carginan helped Balcius and Connors after hours and encouraged their creative freedom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n