Grant Details

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Authority

Summary

History of Funding

In FY23, $613,701 was awarded to 29 public libraries statewide.

Additional Information

Public libraries must clearly identify the need this project will address, demonstrate the capacity to recruit mentors, and engage tweens and/or teens in educational activities that have potential to change skills, knowledge, attitudes, or behaviors.

• Students: The target audience must be within the range of 5th through 12th grade students with an identified need addressed by the activities proposed. Libraries are encouraged to recruit at-risk students. Need may be justified by recruiting participants from schools or school districts that operate under the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) of the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. Local poverty or unemployment levels may create barriers resulting in students without home or school access to the technologies or programs the library proposes to offer. Need may also be reflected through data and stories of area teens affected by educational, cultural or language differences, social gaps, food insecurities, or economic hardship.
• Mentors: Mentors are required PNG component, as they work directly with the students and guide them through activities. Mentors may be hired on contract specifically to plan and implement activities, or responsibility for the PNG program may be assigned to existing staff. Subject specialists may also be engaged to share expertise.
• Educational Programs: Activities should engage participants in active learning through virtual or hands on experiences as well as using technology to enrich the learning process. From robotics to photography, programming may increase knowledge and foster interest in science, technology, engineering, art, or mathematics (STEAM) concepts. Programming must be justified by the target audience's needs.

Examples of PNG Projects:

• Chicago Public Library (CPL) is empowering teens to depict and amplify the people, places, and moments that shape their lives, reflect their communities, and connect them to their city. Teens at library branches across Chicago may check out a camera, gaining access to professional equipment and the freedom to use it independently. To support cameras as a tool for artistic and community engagement, CPL staff and contracted artists offer technical and compositional photography workshops; host neighborhood photo walks and field trips; and design "at-home" challenges to inspire teens to capture their community as they see it. Teens collaborate with peers and professionals to share and talk about their art during neighborhood and citywide photographer meetups and learn to self-critique and analyze art while selecting their best photos for inclusion in galleries at citywide institutions, including Harold Washington Library.
• Elmwood Park Public Library is providing Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (S.T.E.A.M.)-inspired programming, activities, and resources for at-risk 6th - 8th graders. Mentors use S.T.E.A.M. concepts and technology as tools to engage the participants and challenge them in a fun and relaxed environment at the library. Activities revolve around creating content using computers and digital devices as well as understanding and making electronics. Participants increase and improve their technology skills, while they discover hobbies, avenues of creative expression, and even professional vocations of which they may not have been previously aware.
• Marion Carnegie Library is offering a safe, inviting environment where students aged 10 - 18 have access to technology-based, after-school and weekend programming focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) concepts and careers. Through Project Next Generation, students develop technical and social skills, have access to guidance from mentors in both group settings and one-on-one settings, and work with technology they would not otherwise be able to access. Mentors customize the activities to fit individual needs to effectively engage participants. Students expand their knowledge of technology by gaining real-life experiences and working knowledge of up-and-coming technologies.

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