Future Ready with the Library: Connecting with Communities for College and Career Readiness Services
YALSA, in partnership with the Association for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL), is implementing an innovative project that will build the capacity of small, rural and tribal libraries to provide college and career readiness (CCR) services for and with middle schoolers. YALSA and ARSL will work with library staff to build needed skills while also developing, testing and refining turn-key resources, which other libraries can adapt for their own use. The project is aimed at school, public, and college library staff in libraries with a service population of 15,000 or fewer, as well as libraries that are 25 miles or more from an urbanized area.
Future Ready with the Library Goals
- Library staff at rural, small, and tribal libraries will learn effective methods for planning and implementing , with a local partner, CCR initiatives for and with middle schoolers and their families
- Middle schoolers and their families in rural, small, and tribal communities will gain valuable future ready information that will better prepare them for starting a career and/or focusing on academics related to a career after high school
- Middle schoolers in rural, small, and tribal libraries will engage in valuable career exploration and workforce preparation experiences
- Library staff in small, rural, and tribal libraries around the U.S. will develop a set of model programs and tools that can be used by a wide range of communities and libraries.
Schedule for Cohort 2 application process announced:
- The application for cohort 2 is now open – you can view the recording, slides, and chat transcript of our July 2017 informational session on YouTube.
- September 1, 2017 cohort 2 application period closes
- October 15, 2017 cohort 2 application status notifications made
Those selected to participate in the second cohort of the Future Ready with the Library project will meet face-to-face for a two day orientation just before the ALA Midwinter meeting in Denver, Colorado. For more information about the project, check out our FAQ.
You can see the list of Cohort 1 participants and read about their work on the YALSAblog.
Use this quick online form to sign up to receive email notifications about the project, including an announcement when the next round of applications opens. To access an existing compilation of college and career readiness resources, visit YALSA’s wiki.
This project is generously funded by the Institute of Museum & Library Services. For more information, read the full grant proposal (.pdf) or the press release.