Book club co-president, junior Karenna Caton, is running a book drive for her CAS project, a requirement of the IB program. Book drop boxes can be found in IB classrooms.

“A book drive both provides a sense of community in which others are contributing positively towards a good cause,” English teacher and Book Club host Robin Henderson said.  “Others who might not have money to buy new or used books now have a way to get a book.”

Caton got the idea from a post on the Leander ISD Educational Excellence Foundation website, promoting schools to host their own book drives.

“Everyone should be given the opportunity to read because it encourages growth for not only reading, but also in writing, vocabulary development, and an appreciation for new topics that students might be unaware of,” Henderson said. “Sometimes we are caught in the bubble of our small place in the world and don’t have the chance to see what life is like for others, whether it’s fictional or real.”

Because IB students are required to create a CAS project, a month-long project that must be collaborative and beneficial for the community, Caton chose to host a book drive for her project.

“Students are expected to walk away from their project with skills such as problem-solving, decision-making, initiative, working cooperatively with others, and commitment.,” CAS coordinator and art teacher Chelsea Cason said. “Along with these necessary life skills, it is hoped that students develop a project that makes a significant impact on themselves or others in some way.”

Caton said she was drawn to the book drive idea because of a passion for reading.

“[Reading is] just fun,” Caton said. “Also, I like to think I’m sort of introverted, so that helps me fill my time. Literacy, in general, is good for education, and education is just good. You’re educated on the choices you want to make politically and economically.”