Jan. 16, 2024 – Usually when school is in session, student-aged kids and teens are absent from the library. But this school year, most days have seen groups of ninth and tenth graders heading to the Downtown Library.
They are students at City View Community High School, a new Cedar Rapids Public School District magnet school. They meet primarily at the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, but their teachers can also take them into the community for project-based and non-traditional classes.
Among them is social studies teacher Trevor Templeman, who brings his students to the library most days, booking space in meeting rooms to hold class in.
“I think the goal of City View as a magnet high school, but oriented around the community, should be to consistently teach outside the school. It gets the students to think about school differently,” he said.
He teaches social studies and taught world history and conspiracy theories classes, in collaboration with a science teacher, to teach students how to recognize and analyze conspiracy theories and disinformation.
Students utilize library resources, including books and databases, as well as the expertise of library staff and reference librarians. They also do smaller group work in spaces throughout the building.
“It’s the resources, but also the actual physical space that is important for us,” he said.
The collaboration started when City View leaders realized renovation work at the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance building wouldn’t be finished in time for the fall semester to start. What was meant to be a partnership that would last a couple of days has bloomed into much more, with students spending part of almost every school day at the library.
“The intention behind the partnership was very structured, but how that’s actually transpired has been very organic, based on the needs of the school and the individual teachers,” said library Programming Manager Kevin Delecki.
The Economic Alliance building doesn’t have room for a full library – the students use the library and other facilities at Metro High School. The public library, however, is just a few blocks from the Economic Alliance building and is accessible via the skywalk. One thing the school advertised to prospective students was the proximity to Downtown Cedar Rapids amenities.
English teacher Daniel Lang said he is excited about the possibilities the partnership opens up for the future, including using library technology available in the Maker Spaces.
“I think the connection with the library is super exciting. I think it’s neat they have access to all the physical materials but also the digital resources and the technology,” he said.
Students from the Iowa BIG school, another project-based learning program for local high school students, also meet regularly at the library for the same reason – access to resources and space to work outside a traditional school building.
“We are building something for all students who want to learn in a way that is more student-driven and less structured. We want to empower students to more effectively identify their goals for their education,” Templeman said. “One of the goals of the school is to get students into the community.”
Delecki said the library also benefits from having students in the building. They bring in their own voices and ideas and help the library connect with an under-reached demographic.
“This is an opportunity to bring in students who need the resources we provide but also give us the benefit of their time and their perspective and inform us how we can better serve them,” he said. “There’s such a benefit to having them in our space. It brings a different energy into the building. We can be part of their growth as engaged members of our community.”
