TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute an agreement with the California State Library, to accept and expend grant funding in the amount of $42,000 for Library Literacy Services; and
Increase appropriations in the General Grants Fund Group in the Library Services Department by $42,000, offset by grant revenue. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
The Library Services Department’s application to the California State Library for a Shared Vision Community Partnership Grant for Out of School Time Programs was approved, allowing the Department to launch a Young Readers Club in Fiscal Year 2020 (FY 20) and FY 21 with funding from the State to create a staff and teen volunteer training program with a reading curriculum, and purchase the books and supplies needed to run the program.
The Young Readers Club consists of a small group of first grade students partnered with a Learning Guide and teen volunteer for 90 minutes of shared reading, skills building, reading comprehension, and book-themed projects. Young readers will gain reading practice, motivation, and confidence in reading aloud. Students will read books with socio-emotional themes to encourage group discussions around self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship building, and responsible decision-making. The teen volunteers will participate in a Youth Empowerment Summit and will receive read-aloud training while improving their programming, mentoring, public speaking, and social skills.
The Library has identified five sites (Billie Jean King, Burnett, Harte, Mark Twain, and Michelle Obama Neighborhood Libraries) for this project. These libraries are located in north, central, and southwest Long Beach. These areas have higher than average proportions of low-income households and the highest percentage of youth. These neighborhoods have also been identified as areas of great need that experience disproportionately high rates of poverty, crime, unemployment, and other r...
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