The New Holland Knowledge Academy in Gainesville was recently awarded a $1,200 grant to help update the school’s media center.
The grant, sponsored by Burlington Stores, will go toward expanding the library’s eBook collection to meet the needs of both virtual and on-campus students. As physical book checkout is currently limited due to COVID-19, this grant will allow faculty and students safe access to books virtually.
This is the fourth year that Burlington Stores has awarded grants to educators across the country based on their classroom and school needs. This year alone, the company has raised over $1.5 million for the project. To be eligible for a grant, schools must be located in the same county as a Burlington store.
"I've applied for it the past two years, and I was shocked when I received the email about the grant from Burlington," New Holland Knowledge Academy Media Specialist Brianna Caldwell said in a statement Thursday. "Due to restrictions in the media center, we are not able to have our traditional Fall Book Fair, which is our main fundraiser for media center activities. Receiving this grant will allow the media center to continue our traditions while still following our guidelines."