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Samantha Free is the 2025-2026 Project Accept Teacher of the Year!

Samantha joined the team at Project Accept in 2023 as a part-time librarian. She currently serves as the librarian and art teacher at the school. We asked her a few questions to learn more about her and her time in Tulsa Public Schools.

What led you to a career in education?

Honestly, because I am a very analytical soul, I took the librarian position here as I wanted a position that would let me utilize my library master's degree. Then I took the art position because I wanted to have a full-time job. However, I've stayed doing this because I want to make a difference, as cliché as it sounds, especially to those kids who maybe just need to feel like there is someone who cares or someone who will hear them. 

What is your favorite thing about your work?

Seeing my students excited about a book they want to check out or an art project we are doing. 

What is one thing you are passionate about outside of teaching?

Since reading would be the expected thing for a librarian to say (and I do love reading), I'm going to say playing Disney Dreamlight Valley on my Nintendo Switch OLED. I saw my 12-year-old niece playing it a week or two before Thanksgiving, and I've been obsessed ever since. 

Is there anything else you would like to share?

I have had a lot of people thank me or praise me for working with the student population that I do. The majority of my kids have had some pretty bad moments to get them here, and I think those behaviors sometimes make it hard for people to remember that they are just kids. Usually with more trauma than most people should ever have to face. My school is not in place to make these kids perfect angels, but we try to send them back to their home school better than they were when we got them. I guess I just hope that more people will start to see my population as kids in need of care and not just trouble waiting to happen.