Read, Grow, Succeed: Leadership and Community Cultivation in the Meadowcreek High School Media Center

     At Meadowcreek High School, the media center is more than just a place to check out books and read; it’s a vibrant space where students develop into leaders and collaborate in school community outreach.  

     “People think the library is just a quiet place, but this place is bubbling with activity,” says Media Specialist Cicely Lewis. “We get loud in the library.”

     Students volunteering in the media center practice customer service skills through greeting visitors, checking out books, and answering the phone. Lewis believes communication skills are important because these students are the voice of the school. 

     “I wanted to work [in the media center] because I wanted to share my hobby with other students, which is reading,” adds Keren, a media center volunteer and senior.

     Other duties include shelving and cataloging books, managing media center reservations, setting up technology, and helping teachers with lessons. Students working in the media center also conduct orientation for freshmen to help them get to know the library.

     Sean Smith, known as “Coach Suede,” brings his special education class to the media center to volunteer and learn employability skills. The students clean, wipe tables and chairs, and clear desktops.  

     Students throughout the school also use the media center as a creative hub, working together to plan events and activities that celebrate the diverse heritage and culture of the school community.

     “A large majority of the planning comes from the students because we really want to get their input and voice on the things they want to celebrate,” Lewis says. “We try to develop a love of reading and implement programming that reflects our community.”

     In the media center, events like Black History Month are planned and coordinated by the Black Student Union. The upcoming “Quinceañera Book and Fashion Show” celebrates Hispanic authors and students and promotes the school’s reading program. And the “Read, Register, Vote” program helps students learn about their rights and the voting process.

     “We develop students into leaders,” Lewis adds. “By the end of the year, I see a huge transformation in [students’] public speaking skills and customer service skills… [this experience] really brings them out of their shell.”