“I have the strong belief that the hope for our society is based in the community,” says Pehl Wood. “That’s where everything begins and that’s where everything grows.”
So, on Give to the Max Day back in 2014, she decided it was the right time to make a $100 donation to a part of the community that she is influenced by every day.
“I look around the community and we only live like a half mile away from here and there is a number of children in our apartment building that go to this school,” says Pehl Wood. “The big reason is my niece teaches here, has taught here for a number of years, so I said yeah sure Centennial Middle School. I went to [givemn.org] and sure enough I found Centennial Middle School and that was it.”
In 2014, Give MN randomly selects two donations made on Give to the Max Day, and adds thousand of dollars to the donation that was made. One donor got $2,000 added to their donation, but Pehl Wood had $20,000 added to hers. The school found out they were awarded the $20,000 the next morning, but no one had told Marjorie, until the principal called to thank her.
“So Bob comes on the phone and he just can’t seem to find his words and finally says I just have to thank you for your incredibly generous gift and I’m going $100?,” said Wood. Her confusion was put to rest very quickly. “He said $100, what are you talking about? He said you haven’t heard we won the $20,000 bonus drawing so then I was the one that lost my words,” said Wood.
At this point, the school had to decide what to do with their new funds. “When you get that information that you have been afforded that opportunity you immediately go to how can I be most responsible with those dollars. So for us it was about bringing community and school leadership, and Marjorie together to have that conversation about what’s the most thoughtful way to spend those dollars and so from there this evolved. It was surreal, then exciting, and then in some ways temporarily daunting,” said Centennial Middle School principal Bob Stevens.
After deciding that they wanted to find a way for all of their students to benefit from this donation, they decided that the best way to do that would be remodeling the media center, and giving it an appropriate name: Marjorie Pehl Wood Learning Commons.
“This space originally was constructed 20 years ago and it was a very traditional library with chairs and tables and book shelves,” said Stevens.”So the spirit of it is a safe, welcome, warming environment for casual use and then for instructional use really get away from rows and tables to environments where kids could come and engage and it’s evolving.”
The change has made a difference not only in how the space looks, but also in the response the students have had.
“We actually have kids now that are begging to come down to the commons that maybe weren’t begging before so we’re excited about that,” said Stevens.
The school was excited to be able to kids their students something special at a time when the extras are often left out.
“These are tight times at the state level and the local level so it allows you to go beyond what you would be doing and just to accelerate that journey for our learners and that’s what it did for us. We wouldn’t be sitting here where we are in the learning commons journey without GiveMN and without the $20,000,” said Stevens.
The school hopes to use Marjorie’s story and the story of the learning commons to the inspire students by teaching them how small actions can make a big difference.
“My hope for the day is that beyond this physical space and the changes made this leaves a lasting impression on the kids about what they can do as students and adults to make a difference for other people,” said Stevens.
