Big 12 Conference and CFP Foundation Complete “Extra Yard Makeover Project” for Mountainview Elementary School in Morgantown, W.Va.

MORGANTOWN, W. Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Big 12 Conference, in partnership with the College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation’s Extra Yard for Teachers (EYFT) initiative and Lakeshore Learning Materials, today unveiled its makeover of the library at Mountainview Elementary School in Morgantown, West Virginia.

Through a $50,000 grant, Mountainview Elementary School has been able to completely renovate its library, which has not received a makeover since the school opened nearly 30 years ago. The library has been transformed into an inviting space with the addition of new carpeting, improved lighting and items from Lakeshore’s new, exclusive line of Flex-Space classroom furniture. The updates to the library give vibrancy to the space, which serves as the central hub for the more than 700 students that utilize it on a weekly basis.

“We are fortunate to have the opportunity to impact the Morgantown community beyond intercollegiate athletics,” said Big 12 Conference Commissioner Bob Bowlsby. “Providing makeovers to essential school spaces like a renovated library gives educators and students a collaborative learning environment to help achieve academic success.”

The library makeover was made possible from the CFP Foundation’s EYFT initiative. Previously, the Big 12 and CFP Foundation partnered together to provide classroom makeovers at Ames Middle School in Ames, Iowa; Heronville Elementary School in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Noble Prentis Elementary School in Kansas City, Kansas; Berry Elementary in Arlington, Texas; and St. Philip’s School and Community Center in Dallas, Texas.

“We are so very fortunate to receive a complete makeover of the library, a space in need of updating,” said Mountainview Elementary School Principal Angela Dickerson. “The renovation reinvigorates the space and gives the school a true hub that students will want to spend time in every week. I hope this new library demonstrates to our students that other adults recognize the amazing potential in each of them – just like our faculty and staff do.”

“Education is paramount to the creation of a better future for any child, and a commitment from the Big 12, CFP Foundation and Lakeshore Learning Materials to contribute resources that provide for better educational opportunities will benefit students for generations at Mountainview,” said Monongalia County Schools Superintendent Dr. Eddie Campbell.

The CFP Foundation serves as the community investment arm of the CFP, and its primary platform, EYFT, is dedicated to elevating the teaching profession by inspiring and empowering teachers in four core areas: resources, recognition, recruitment and professional development. The EYFT initiative infuses valuable supplies like furniture, technology, and storage components more directly into classrooms around the country.

“We hope this new library helps create an engaging learning environment at Mountainview that will assist teachers in having a tremendous impact on the educational development of their students,” said CFP Foundation Executive Director Britton Banowsky. “We thank the Big 12 Conference and Lakeshore Learning Materials for their continued support in recognizing teachers, who are vital as the foundation of our educational system.”

The CFP Foundation utilizes multiple partnerships to execute its initiatives and support positive educational outcomes. Since its inception, the foundation has supported 250,000 teachers, reached 6 million students and more than 28,000 schools have directly benefitted from its programs.

“Redesigning and updating spaces to facilitate learning is essential in giving students and teachers a dynamic educational environment,” said Lakeshore Learning Materials Educational Division President Kevin Carnes. “Lakeshore strives to help students reach their full academic potential by infusing schools with the materials needed to make the environment as conducive to learning as possible.”

About Big 12 Conference

The Big 12 Conference is comprised of 10 Universities – Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech and West Virginia. The Big 12 is an NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletics conference that encompasses five states with over 40 million people within its geographic footprint. In its 24^th year, the Conference has produced over 680 Academic All-America selections and claimed national championship team titles in 17 of its 23 sponsored sports. Its student-athletes and teams have combined for over 660 individual NCAA titles and 63 team national championships. Nearly 5,000 student-athletes from across the United States and around the World compete annually under the Big 12 banner. For more information, visit Big12Sports.com and follow the Conference on Facebook (Facebook.com/Big12), Twitter (@Big12Conference) and YouTube (YouTube.com/Big12Conference).

About the College Football Playoff Foundation and Extra Yard for Teachers

The CFP Foundation is the community investment arm of the College Football Playoff, supporting education across the country. The CFP Foundation’s primary cause platform, Extra Yard for Teachers, is dedicated to elevating the teaching profession by inspiring and empowering teachers in four focus areas: resources, recognition, recruitment and professional development. The CFP Foundation utilizes multiple partnerships to execute its initiatives and support positive educational outcomes. To learn more, visit cfp-foundation.org and follow Extra Yard for Teachers (@CFPExtraYard) on social media.

About Mountainview Elementary School

Mountainview Elementary was built in 1992 and currently serves 750 students, grades pre-k to five.

About Monongalia County Schools

Approximately 11,500 pre-k-12 students are enrolled in Monongalia County Schools, the sixth largest of the state's 55 county-wide school districts.

About Lakeshore—Products Designed with Learning in Mind™

Lakeshore Learning Materials is a premier manufacturer of educational products for elementary and early childhood programs. For 65 years, we have built our reputation on the quality of our products, developing dependable, creative materials you won’t find anywhere else—including our innovative Flex-Space furniture line and rugged classroom furniture. To learn more, visit LakeshoreLearning.com.