Young people around the world are reading “woke,” thanks to an initiative launched by Cicely Lewis, Meadowcreek HS’ media specialist. Ms. Lewis’ diversity-in-literacy focus and the meaningful schoolwide conversations that Read Woke has sparked worldwide are among the reasons that she’s been named the nation’s 2020 School Librarian of the Year!
School Library Journal (SLJ) and Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, recently announced Mrs. Lewis’ award, which recognizes creativity in K-12 library programming and use of content, exemplary service to fulfill the needs of students and the school community, and demonstrated student engagement.
“I am so honored to receive this prestigious award and I plan to continue to advocate for students who are looking for answers, looking for a connection, and seeking to find themselves in books,” Mrs. Lewis says. “I will use this platform to tell the world that every child deserves a certified school librarian in their school.”
In her role as media specialist, Mrs. Lewis creates programming that celebrates the diversity of Meadowcreek High’s more than 2,600 students and 180 teachers. Her Read Woke initiative encourages students to read books that challenge a social norm or the status quo, give a voice to the voiceless, have a protagonist from an underrepresented or oppressed group, or provide information about a group that has been disenfranchised. The initiative has sparked meaningful conversations schoolwide and beyond… around the county, the country, and the world.
Mrs. Lewis collaborates regularly across all curricular areas. She offers professional development to teachers and forms positive relationships with her students and staff through a variety of events, including a chili cook-off, Prom Book Fashion Show, and Phenomenal Fridays. With Tech Woke projects, students use technology to learn about social justice issues, and she hosts a virtual reality experience during Black History Month where students “travel back in time” to learn about pivotal moments in Black History. Mrs. Lewis encourages her students to be active members of their library community. The students provide one another with reading recommendations and use the media center’s exercise bike desks and glass study rooms with projectors to learn, collaborate, and be creative.
As the national winner, Mrs. Lewis is featured on the cover of the April 2020 issue of SLJ, and will receive a suite of awards from Scholastic, including $2,500 cash and $2,500 worth of digital or print products for her library. She also has been invited to attend the 2020 Scholastic Independent Reading Summit, a professional learning conference designed to provide educators with the latest practices and research for encouraging independent reading in their schools. Meadowcreek HS students also will receive free books as part of a special literacy event at a later date.
The national title caps off a series of recognitions for Mrs. Lewis, who previously was honored as the top media specialist in Georgia, metro Atlanta, and GCPS. Mrs. Lewis also earned the 2019 National Teacher Award for Lifelong Readers, awarded by the National Council of Teachers of English and Penguin Random House. The award came with a $10,000 grant to expand her Read Woke program and fund literacy events for her students. And, she was named a “2018-19 Top 10 Educator” by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and received the Young Adult Library Services Association’s (YALSA) Margaret A. Edwards Award for Best Literature Program.
In this 2019 Focus Moment from GCPS TV, learn more about Mrs. Lewis and her award-winning programs.
Did you know that three GCPS staff members have earned the top national honor in their field this school year?
2020
School Librarian of the Year
Cicely Lewis of Meadowcreek HS
2020
School Counselor of the Year
Laura Ross of Five Forks MS
2020
National Principal of the Year
Kerensa Wing of Collins Hill HS