Grant Elementary School students have new spaces for reading, research and hands-on projects after the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District cut the ribbon Oct. 14 on the campus's new library and innovation lab.
The multiuse facility, paid for through voter-approved district bond measures, includes an expanded library, a reading room, a reception and circulation area, a librarian's office and a textbook room. A separate innovation lab is dedicated to science, engineering and design activities.
In the lab, students will work on projects such as designing structures to withstand natural disasters and using architectural principles to model small towns. The expanded library offers room for independent reading, research and group work.
"Grant has always been a place where students discover new ideas and develop a love of learning," Principal Christian Fuhrer said. "These new spaces build on that tradition while giving students more opportunities to explore, create and take ownership of their learning."
Superintendent Antonio Shelton said the library serves a broader purpose than housing books.
"It is a place where students develop a love of reading, explore new ideas, work together and discover interests they may carry with them for years to come," Shelton said. "This new space gives Grant students more opportunities to learn in different ways, with room for quiet reading, collaboration, creativity and hands-on exploration."