Congratulations to Sunrise Drive school librarian Kelsey LaPort for her recent designation as a “Certified Sustainable School Librarian” through the Sustainable Libraries Initiative’s award- winning Sustainable Library Certification Program (SLCP).

This achievement makes LaPort the fourteenth school librarian to complete the Sustainable Library Certification Program, an award-winning community of practice designed to provide public libraries, academic libraries, library systems, and school librarians with exclusive resources and guidelines to help them shift toward a cleaner, greener, and more equitable future. Remarkably, LaPort completed the certification program in less than a year.

LaPort’s passion, persistence, and attention to detail shine through in every aspect of her work. Her deep dedication to social equity drove her to advocate tirelessly for over two years to secure eBooks and expand the library’s digital resources for her students. By paying close attention to the needs of her community, LaPort started an inter-elementary school book club to encourage a love for reading, foster friendships among her fifth-grade students and their future classmates, and ease the often challenging transition to middle school.

“When I began my journey as a librarian at Sunrise Drive Elementary, I shared with Dr. Foy two long-term goals: to make the library the heart of our school and to integrate sustainability into our library program,” LaPort said.

Making significant progress on these goals, and in partnership with her school’s S.T.E.A.M. teacher, Jennifer Horton, LaPort led research projects where students explored sustainability topics hands-on. She also introduced a TerraCycle recycling program, working with students to collect and sort recyclable materials while fostering a sense of environmental responsibility.

For LaPort, completing the Sustainable Library Certification Program is just the beginning. She aspires to continue shaping her students into informed, inspired, and engaged citizens. Reflecting on her achievement, LaPort shared: “I’m thrilled to have earned the Sustainable Libraries Certification, and I’m excited to continue finding fresh opportunities to move us toward a more sustainable future.”