Melissa Harcrow, Kurt Neal, Cheryl Smith, Jeanne Pollard, and Vickie Amos

The team’s innovative teaching program, “S.T.E.A.M. in the LLC,” is designed to create a Library Learning Common (LLC) that will double as the school’s safe room. Lukfata's LLC will be arranged to accommodate not only books, but areas for learning, collaboration, exploration, discovery, and positive social growth using S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) centers interspersed throughout. The team envisions students engaged in rich text and discovery. According to the team, there are studies that show a direct correlation between the amount of time a student spends reading and exploring, and their achievements, therefore, providing students access to high-quality, high-interest materials will promote an increase in the desire to read and discover, and in turn elevate achievement.