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Once a student of the Total Experience Learning Institute^® (TExpL), Rachel Sebastian, a librarian at Brecknock Elementary School in the Gov. Mifflin School District, believes in its mission so deeply that she’s also an adjunct for the program based at ��ҹ������Ʒ����. And her ambition and enthusiasm are getting noticed.

TExpL was developed by Adelle Schade, Ph.D., a former Conrad Weiser High School science teacher. The instructional framework guides educators as their students tackle real world problems, nurturing learners as community-minded, innovative solutionaries. Educators are the students at TExpL, and they learn how to bring the methodology to their students by implementing real-world learning experiences at their schools, putting young learners in the driver’s seat.

At Brecknock, Sebastian partners with classroom teachers to build a fictional mini-city called “Sweet Read City” in the library.

“This year, fourth-graders selected their businesses, met with the leadership team at the business and then created a fictional business inspired by the real one they were learning about," the Reading resident explained.

This and other real-world scenarios have connected students with such businesses as Classic Harley-Davidson in Leesport, Schlouch Inc. in Blandon, Sweet Ride Ice Cream in West Reading and even their local fire department.

“They kind of help build this community," she said. "And they get to engage with stakeholders in their own community. And they love it so much. They get so involved in the business that they’re studying that they just don’t want it to end.”

Sebastian’s peers have taken note of her enthusiasm and of the difference the programs are making for students, so much so that a colleague nominated her for 2025’s Pennsylvania Department of Education’s PA Teacher of the Year award. Over 500 applications were submitted, and Sebastian was one of the 12 finalists. While she didn’t come out on top, she was thrilled and honored to be recognized.

“It reinforced to me that I’ve been serving the students well,” she says. “I just love helping kids learn. I love to see them joyfully learn and to develop as lifelong learners. And TExpL is the pathway to joyful learning. When kids are driving their own learning, they’re not only engaged, they’re empowered. And they’re motivated to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful because we place them into this immersive environment where they feel valued and they work they do has a lot of personal meaning to them.”

The proof in that assertion has materialized in many ways, but a memorable one for Sebastian was when a mother of a student reached out to tell her how it changed everything for her child.

“The mom told me she knew her child loved to learn, but the child never wanted to come to school before the Total Experience Learning that we’ve been doing here," Sebastian said. "She told me what a difference it made in her child’s life and in that child’s motivation to come to school. They couldn’t wait to come in and do the work.”

While many may not see her role as a librarian as the engaging teaching position it is, Sebastian said she’s exactly where she wants to be when it comes to working with students.

“As a librarian, literacy will always be at the heart of what I do, but I want to make sure students have real-world, immersive experiences that go way beyond anything they read in a book or online," she said. "The library can be so much more than that.”