Welcome to the Curiosity Center

As we entered Meadowlark School in Erie, Colorado, we were greeted by several eighth grade students and Marnie Steele, Curiosity Coach and Teacher Librarian. Amy Bahlenhorst, Research Analyst for Library Research Service, and I followed them up a wide staircase as they chatted cheerfully. You couldn’t miss the Curiosity Center, as each letter of the name was posted large and vibrant over the windows that helped light up the space. Inside, shelves of books circled the tables, beanbags, and benches where students gathered, and the popping colors and careful layout gave the entire place an open, welcoming feel. We didn’t have long to take it all in before we were sitting down with the eighth grade students that had offered to talk to us before taking off on a field trip. “What would you miss if the Curiosity Center didn’t exist?” we asked them. “Everything!” one student responded immediately. This answer was quickly followed by students chiming in with “books,” “community,” and “a place just to chill,” but throughout the rest of our visit we heard about so much, from coding to cockroaches, that it was easy to understand why “everything” was the first response that came to mind…

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