Urban Libraries Council Receives Funding Civic Labs for Youth
The Carnegie Corporation of New York has awarded a $1,000,000, two-year grant to the Urban Libraries Council, to establish a national network of Civic Labs for Youth.
ULC member libraries with Carnegie-built branches will be invited to propose projects that encourage active democratic participation in young people ages 15–18, and a diverse mix of 10–12 public library systems in urban, suburban, and rural locations will be selected to develop programming. Librarians will receive media training to facilitate youth engagement.
ULC president and CEO Brooks Rainwater said in a statement that Civic Labs for Youth respond to “alarmingly high rates of polarization and mistrust” in the U.S. and make space for “civic learning outside of school hours.” Ambika Kapur, the Carnegie Corporation’s program director for education, said that “Civic Labs for Youth will give young people hands-on opportunities to practice civic skills and lead community change in a trusted, accessible setting, while building the capacity of librarians to support that work.”
