When Porter Elementary School’s Community Problem Solving Team noticed a lack of passion for reading in their community, they knew it was something they wanted to address.

The Problem Solvers said they believe the disconnect from reading comes from a connection to something else.

The students created a survey, using Google Classroom for the older students and paper surveys for the younger kids, looking into reading patterns and possible obstacles.

The surveys showed that the majority of the students in the school did not enjoy reading and rarely read for entertainment. The majority of the younger students said they do not have a person at home with whom they read, making it harder for them to learn and almost impossible for them to enjoy.

The students said they are not sure if that is due to limited time or access to books, so they wanted to help eliminate some of the obstacles.

The team wrote a grant proposal to the Little Free Library organization, securing the funding to build a community library outside of the school.

The students painted the library with bright, spring-themed colors and designs before stocking it with some of the more than 600 books that have been donated to the project.

The students hope to build two more Little Free Libraries in the community. But, for now, they just hope to watch the love of reading grow in their peers.

You can learn more about the Little Free Library organization at LittleFreeLibrary.org.