Great Achievers

Community Alliance to Promote Education (CAPE)

A classroom filled with desks with bright green walls

Community Alliance to Promote Education (CAPE)

Muncie Public Library has always been dedicated to serving the educational needs of our community, which includes improving literacy rates here. Our Great Achievers program, in fact, provides homework help and school lessons for children in 1st -5th grade (school/teacher recommendation). We’ve had our Great Achievers program at Maring-Hunt for quite a number of years now, but the beginning of this initiative can be traced to a sister program that started when Maring-Hunt Library first opened to the public. It was called the Community Alliance to Promote Education or CAPE for short.

In 2002, Dr. Sam Abram, former superintendent of Muncie Community Schools, began the Community Alliance to Promote Education (CAPE) with the help of a grant from the Lilly Endowment. CAPE’s goal was to assist students who were falling short in the state’s proficiency standards by helping them attain the state average in ISTEP scores and gain a grade level in reading and math. CAPE had a total of 10 community learning centers in Delaware County, 5 of which were in Muncie for Garfield, Grissom, Longfellow, Southview, and Washington-Carver Elementary Schools. Each center looked at various factors including attendance, study skills, learning environment, and social needs in order to select 25 students to tutor. The learning center for Southview was housed in the new Maring-Hunt Library on the second floor.

Dr. Sam Abram (Star Press, 02-04-2012)

newspaper clipping portrait of Doctor Sam Abram

Expanding the Program

Two students work on an educational activity at a table; in the background, two kids wearing headphones use the computers

In October 2003, Maring-Hunt added another program to its educational programs called STAR (Strive to Achieve - Read), which worked in partnership with CAPE. Beginning in 2004, CAPE wanted to focus its attention on 1st through 3rd graders from Southview, so STAR assisted 4th graders from the same school, usually former CAPE students, with their homework while working on reading and math skills. Both programs saw a great deal of success, and as a result, the library applied to become a Title I site for tutoring and homework help at Carnegie Library. At the time, Muncie Public Library was the only library in Indiana listed as a Title I site that was doing so much for literacy efforts within their service areas. The Title I program became known as Great Achievers, and it focused on grades 4-6.

Two participants in one of the library's afterschool programs play a game together (MPLNow, Summer 2004).

Both CAPE and STAR had ended by the 2007-2008 school year. CAPE consistently observed improvements in students' grades and ISTEP scores in both reading/language arts and math. In the 2005-2006 school year, the library’s CAPE program was, in fact, the best in the county, but it ran out of funding unfortunately. Great Achievers, however, remained. It was also showing great success in helping students improve reading and math scores/skills. In 2006, it had received an A- rating and had expanded to serve students K-5.

Two children sit at a table working on an educational activity together.

Two participants in one of the library's afterschool programs play a game together (MPLNow, Summer 2004).

A boy looks at the camera. On the table, he is writing on a paper over an open book.

A young man works on his homework during one of MPL's afterschool educational programs (MPLNow, Summer 2004).

Transition

Despite Great Achievers’ success as a Title I program, by 2008, the organization did not align anymore with Muncie Public Library’s goals for the educational initiative, so MPL transitioned it to become a grant-funded program. It later won a $450,000 grant from 21st Century Learning Center and expanded its program offerings to include art classes, field trips to museums, and special presentations. Most likely looking to the former CAPE as an example, the revamped Great Achievers program not only provided homework help but worked to improve grades and ISTEP scores while focusing on reading and math skills of ‘at risk’ children. The program had also moved to Maring-Hunt Library by this point.

Artwork made by the 2011-2012 Great Achievers students (MPL Archives, 01-10-2018).

abstract piece of art where artists splashed and drew lines of paint on canvas; colors include orange, yellow, blue, red, and purple

Great Achievers Today

Muncie Public Library continues to support Great Achievers to this day. The program currently provides homework help and school lessons to children in 1st-5th grade from Southview Elementary based on school and teacher recommendation. Throughout its years, it has seen great success in helping students reach educational goals, giving them confidence along the way academically.

Three young girls play with Legos at a desk. Two are seated while one is standing on the right side of the desk.

Three of the Great Achievers children play with Legos at the desk (MPL Archives, 01/19/2016).

A group of children stand in a circle in one of the Great Achievers classrooms. A young boy stands in the middle of the circle smiling, with arms crossed, looking towards the left side.

The Great Achievers play a game in between study sessions (MPL Archives, 03/17/2022).

Sources

Burton, Kathy and MPLNow Staff. (Summer 2004). “Afterschool Programs.” MPLNow, vol. XXXVIII, no. 3. MPL Archives. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

“CAPE Centers.” (Fall 2002). MPLNow, vol. XXXIV, no. 4. MPL Archives. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

“Minutes: Muncie Public Library Board, 2002.” MPL Archives. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

“Minutes: Muncie Public Library Board, 2003.” MPL Archives. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

“Minutes: Muncie Public Library Board, 2006.” MPL Archives. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

“Minutes: Muncie Public Library Board, 2007.” MPL Archives. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

“Minutes: Muncie Public Library Board, 2008.” MPL Archives. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

MPL Archives. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

"Sam Abram." (02-04-2012). Star Press. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

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