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Discover the power of books with this Fall's sponsored school.

Global Tech Academy is a public school in Ypsilanti, Michigan whose mission is to "encourage students to think globally and become engaged citizens that give back for a better future for themselves through education and service." This fall, we partnered with Global Tech Academy to provide books for their library. Read on to discover the power of books among students:

Tracy Stoermer wears a lot of hats at Global Tech Academy. In addition to running the library, she teaches music, visual arts, and choir. "I get to know the kids in a lot of different contexts," says Tracy, "and we are continually creating and learning together. My favorite moment is seeing the expression on a child's face when they've been searching for a book and they finally find "the one" and fall in love with a character."

In her 28 years of teaching, Tracy has witnessed (and facilitated) many impactful moments when it comes to students discovering a love for reading. Below is one of her favorites:

"Several years ago, I had an Upper Elementary student—a 4th grader if memory serves me. When he came into school in September, he was angry, resistant, and full of negative self-talk (especially relating to his ability to read and reading in general). Because we were blessed with a wide variety of books at his level, he was able to find—even on his most stubborn days—something that piqued his interest. Slowly, with careful guidance and encouragement from myself and his classroom teacher, he began to experience success in reading.

One February morning, he came to me—so excited, upbeat, and full of hope: "Ms. Stoermer, I know it's not our Library day, but I'm really in love with these characters! I finished the first book early and I know right where the second one is... I promise I would be so fast if you let me check it out so I can have the next book in the series [to read] today!" Of course, I let him. All these years later, I still have a special place in my heart for that child and his transformation from an angry non-reader to a child delighting in his favorite character's adventures."

If this story is any evidence, reading has a wonderful power to impact students. It brings different places, cultures, characters, and even universes to the reader's fingertips and allows them to discover new things. It sparks creativity, imagination, and curiosity. Most importantly, it allows for endless learning opportunities.

Thank you, Tracy, for sharing your story! We love hearing about the amazing things teachers across the country are doing with books to inspire learning and growth in their students. Want to be a part of our next Sponsored School program? Apply now!

This post was written by Megan Habel, the Brand Strategist at BookPal. She is currently reading The Remix by Lindsey Pollak.