Former Hatter Kara Frey, an instructor at Great Plains College, has received a Book Love Foundation Grant, one of only 40 in North America to get one.--Photo Courtesy MBB Photography
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
Medicine Hat College-Mount Royal University Bachelor of Education alumna and former Eagle Butte High School teacher Kara Frey has received the Book Love Foundation Grant, one of only 40 recipients across North America.
Frey is currently an instructor at Great Plains College in Maple Creek, but has deep roots here in Medicine Hat. She credits several local educators and colleagues, including Jennifer Konzack, Mark Heinricks, Cammie Kannekans, Heather Laturnas, Colleen Andjelic as role models who supported her on her career path.
She also owned a bookshop for several years, before closing it to focus on her family and role at Great Plains College. At the time of closing, a significant portion of her inventory was donated to Maple Creek Public Library and the Maple Creek Composite School Library.
The grant is given to instructors who “demonstrate exceptional commitment to fostering authentic reading lives,” said Frey in a press release, and noted that she was the only college-level instructor among this year’s awardees. The funds will be used to diversify her classroom library.
She also received the First Book Canada & BMO Reads for the Future Grant, which aims to increase access to books that reflect diverse identities and experiences. This support has further strengthened her efforts to provide inclusive and relevant reading materials for adult learners at Great Plains College.
Looking toward the future, Frey is scheduled to present at the Hawaii International Conference on Education. Her session, titled The Joy of Reading: Cultivating Lifelong Readers – Advanced Strategies for College and Senior High School Educators, will explore approaches to literacy instruction and the development of lifelong reading habits.
