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How did T3 originate?

In 2018 YALSA articulated needs and challenges present in teen services in libraries throughout the country and in collaboration with COSLA proposed the T3 project to IMLS. Foremost was evidence that libraries were struggling to successfully implement youth-focused learning opportunities that meet the needs of today’s diverse youth. More specifically, the proposal articulated that libraries were potential spaces to counteract patterns of inequitable opportunities for computational thinking and advancement of computer science for non-dominant youth but that staff, although interested, were not prepared to do that work.

Over the course of three years, Transforming Teen Services: A Train the Trainer Approach proposed to address these challenges and needs through professional training for library staff across all 50 states and the five U.S. territories in best practices in library programming for/with teens. The proposed project used a connected learning (CL) framework to help libraries support teen services, and integrated computer science (CS) and computational thinking (CT) activities, both serving to support and prepare teens for personal and professional success. The initiative built on existing models of facilitation for out-of-school time youth services including the CL Framework (Ito et al, 2012), the Libraries Ready to Code initiative (Braun & Visser, 2017); and YALSA’s Teen Services Competencies for Library Staff (YALSA, 2017).

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Who funded and supported the project?

This project was carried out by YALSA and and was funded via an IMLS grant. You can find the original grant proposal here.

Who participated in this project?

This effort brought together state library agency (SLA) youth consultants and front-line library staff for a robust training program. In the first year of the project a pilot cohort made up of SLA and front-line staff from AL, ME, MN, RI and WI received training and began facilitating learning for library staff in their states. In year two, over 100 more SLA and front-line staff were trained and then trained others in their states. The project continues to expand, bringing on more trainers to further reach front-line library staff.