Westerville South High School senior Lillian Malone wanted to make her mark on a place that has been so special to her: Fouse Elementary.
As part of her Take Action project for the Global Scholars Diploma program, she donated 40 children’s books that feature diverse stories to kindergarten and first-grade classrooms.
“I have a really special connection with all the teachers there,” said Malone, who attended Fouse. “I’ve always volunteered in the first-grade classrooms and I love the idea that you can do something that can impact young minds and it’s something that I can remember a long time after that.”
She received a $500 grant from the Westerville Student Education Foundation to purchase books from Birdie Books. She and Westerville Education Foundation Executive Director Colleen Moidu presented the books to Fouse Principal Robb Stranges as well as the students in Emily Considine’s first-grade class on Friday. Malone then read one of the books to the students.
“We’re thankful for the books and for her to take the time to read to us and model leadership,” Stranges said.
Malone initially planned to pursue the project while working on her Gold Award for the Girl Scouts but had to drop it because of the pandemic. She was excited to revisit plans for her capstone project for the Global Scholars Diploma program.
Malone talked to her former kindergarten teacher for her project, asking if her students felt represented in the books they were reading. She learned there was a need for more diverse texts in the classroom.
Malone said she loves the Westerville Education Foundation’s Many Voices: Diverse Classroom Library project, which provides books to Westerville teachers to diversify their libraries. But she was compelled to dedicate her Global Scholars Diploma project on the issue and make a difference at her old school and among Fouse students.
“I want them to grow up knowing in their community that they’re included and thought about,” she said.