We are pleased to announce the recipients of the Connie Hull 2026 Grants! Great job, everyone! OASL awards two grants annually, and we were fortunate to have The Roundhouse Foundation sponsor an additional five rural grants this year. Next steps:

• Grantees will be celebrated in our newsletter!

• Grantees will work directly with Kristina Cevallos, our OASL Treasurer, to distribute funds: treasurer@oasl.olaweb.org 

• Grantees will submit a final grant impact report no later than Friday, June 12th, 2026 to pastpresident@oasl.olaweb.org 

Connie Hull 2026 Winning Grants:

1. The Reading Olympics, Emily Gilkey-Palmer, Teacher-Librarian, Buena Vista Elementary School, Eugene School District: Reading Olympics 2026 is a schoolwide, two-week celebration designed to build joyful reading habits, strengthen family engagement, and expand equitable access to books. Students will commit to daily reading at school and at home, working together toward an ambitious collective reading-minutes goal while celebrating milestones along the way. Families, grandparents, and community members will be invited to campus for special read-aloud events, and every student will select a new-to-them book to take home—helping grow home libraries, especially with more Spanish and bilingual titles. With fun touches like reading flashlights and shared celebrations, Reading Olympics reinforces that reading matters, reading is joyful, and reading is something we do together as a community.

2. Voces En Espanol: Building a Culturally Sustaining K5 Spanish Collection, Crystle Ardoin, Library Media Specialist, Camas Ridge & Adams Elementary School, Eugene School District: Voces en Español is a literacy initiative focused on expanding our K–5 Spanish and bilingual library collection to better serve emergent bilingual students and families. The project adds high-quality, culturally sustaining books across multiple genres and reading levels, ensuring students can read for pleasure and learning in their home language while building confidence and strong reading identities. By centering representation, #OwnVoices titles, and equitable access, Voces en Español strengthens literacy development, supports family engagement at home, and affirms that students’ languages and cultures are valued and celebrated in our school community.

Rural Connie Hull 2026 Winning Grants Sponsored by Roundhouse:

1. Nurturing Spanish Literacy and Family Connections, Kiernan Hodge, SOESD Library Media Specialist, Merrill Elementary School, Klamath County School District: Nurturing Spanish Literacy and Family Connections strengthens reading at both school and home by expanding our collection of Spanish and bilingual books and intentionally engaging families as literacy partners. The project adds high-quality, culturally affirming titles written largely by Latino authors and invites Spanish-speaking families to a welcoming Café con Libros event, where parents and caregivers can explore the new books, learn practical reading strategies, and check out materials to enjoy together at home. By honoring students’ home language and centering family involvement, this initiative builds confidence, belonging, and lifelong reading habits while reinforcing that bilingualism is a powerful asset in our school community.

2. El Gozo de Leer / The Joy of Reading, Jenny Gapp, Teacher-Librarian, McMinnville High School, McMinnville School District: El Gozo de Leer / The Joy of Reading is a multilingual literacy initiative designed to expand access to high-interest Spanish-language books while celebrating language, culture, and identity. By more than doubling the school’s Spanish collection and pairing new titles with vibrant displays, reader advisory tools, student book reviews, and culturally rich events such as Hispanic Heritage Month activities and bilingual celebrations, the project invites students to read, reflect, and connect in their home language. El Gozo de Leer affirms bilingualism as a strength, fosters belonging for Spanish-speaking and newcomer students, and builds a joyful, inclusive reading culture that will continue to grow for years to come.

3. Read It Forward, Bryna Nice, Library & Media Coordinator, Pleasant Hill Elementary School, Pleasant Hill School District: Read It Forward is a peer-to-peer literacy initiative that builds reading skills, leadership, and community by connecting older and younger students through student-recorded read-alouds. Upper-grade students record themselves reading high-quality books, practicing fluency, expression, and confidence, while younger students access these recordings through QR codes for use in classrooms, literacy centers, and independent listening. By amplifying student voice and creating a reusable library of read-alouds, Read It Forward expands equitable access to literacy experiences and reinforces a culture where students learn from—and inspire—one another.

4. LEGO to Literacy: Ann MacGregor, Library Media Tech, Oregon Trail Elementary School, North Clackamas School District: LEGO to Literacy is an engaging reading intervention that pairs hands-on LEGO building with small-group literacy instruction to support struggling and reluctant readers. Students use leveled LEGO books during intervention sessions to practice decoding, comprehension, and fluency, turning reading into an active, purpose-driven experience where text becomes the blueprint for building. By combining movement, collaboration, and reading, LEGO to Literacy builds confidence, motivation, and access for diverse learners—including neurodivergent and multilingual students—while reinforcing that reading can be joyful, meaningful, and empowering.

5. SEL is in the Bag, er Bin!: Kelly Goodwin, Library Manager, Triangle Lake Charter School Library: SEL Is in the Bag, er, BIN! brings social and emotional learning and literacy together by placing thoughtfully curated SEL bins into the hands of students, teachers, and families. Each bin pairs age-appropriate books with hands-on activities that help children explore emotions such as empathy, anxiety, anger, and resilience through shared reading and meaningful interaction. Designed especially for a small, rural community with limited access to mental health resources, this initiative positions the library as a hub of connection and care—reinforcing reading as a powerful tool for understanding ourselves, strengthening relationships, and building lifelong habits of learning and wellbeing.