Spring 2015
a quarterly newsletter from the Madison Public Library Foundation
FOUNDATION NEWS
Photo by Literacy Network
SCALE Program Helps Participants Gain Confidence, Employment
Goodman Foundation Grant Aims to Improve Teens’ Digital Literacy
Literacy Network instructor Rachel Pontow works with student James Hassell in the SCALE course offered at Madison Public Library.
True or false: A child’s time spent on a laptop playing creative games boosts problem-solving skills and leads him or her to read more.
A Literacy Network program that began at Hawthorne and Goodman South Madison libraries in the fall is helping participants gain literacy and computer skills and, ultimately, satisfying jobs.
Improving digital literacy among youth has become an increasingly important goal for libraries. Those who have grown up with access to computers, tablets and smartphones gain confidence through experimentation with technology. Offering free use of computers and tablets, along with gaming software, to kids who may not have access at home addresses the opportunity gap in Madison.
The SCALE (Skills in Computers and Literacy for Employment) course, partially funded through a $19,800 Madison Public Library Foundation grant, brings one-on-one training to Madison residents who need to improve their reading, writing, speaking and technology capabilities. The classes of eight to 10 meet weekly for two hours throughout the 15-week program. Low literacy is a barrier to family-supporting jobs, and it often coexists with poverty. Literacy Network volunteers provide one-onone tutoring in the areas of literacy, computers and other workforce preparation skills. These volunteers also serve as mentors to SCALE participants, who typically start the classes with a second- to seventh-grade reading level but finish with greater confidence in their literacy and speaking. Tammy, Eric and Craig, three SCALE participants who remained committed throughout the first round of classes, are all successfully employed after completing the fall program. For more SCALE or to learn how to become a volunteer, PUT INabout A BOX visit litnetwork.org or call 244-3911. Current classes are listed on the calendar at madisonpubliclibrary.org.
Sounds surprising, but it’s actually true: Creative electronic games such as Minecraft and LEGO Mindstorms have educational merit and teach such lessons. Recent studies show they also introduce engineering concepts and encourage creative thinking. That’s why the Goodman Foundation granted $37,000 to Madison Public Library Foundation to help Madison Public Library start teen after-school clubs featuring Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programming at Goodman South Madison and Meadowridge libraries.
The grant will cover the cost of 10 MacBook Air laptops for each library, plus collections enhancement, LEGO Mindstorms and Minecraft software, and accessory purchases. Of the 200 most often requested nonfiction books at MPL, 7 percent of them are Minecraft-related. Additions to collections will include LEGO building books, Minecraft handbooks and guides, and fiction tie-ins for the two games to extend kids’ experiences into traditional literacy.
A technology and gaming after-school club will be available for teens to join at two libraries this year.
Three teen librarians will run the two new clubs, with support from UW-Madison students enrolled in a Library and Information Studies course taught by Rebecca Willet. The UW assistant professor researches children’s media consumption and production practices. Once the programs at Goodman South Madison and Meadowridge take off, the library plans to expand them to its other locations.
New Grant Program Kicks Off During National Library Week, April 12–18 Did you know that National Library Week is coming up April 12–18, and the theme is “Unlimited possibilities @ your library”? We want to give you unlimited possibilities, too, by providing the funding to turn your best ideas into action.
We’ll be announcing and launching a new grant program soon, so follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get the latest news on how you can submit your thoughts. Visit our website at mplfoundation.org or any of our social media sites the week of April 12 for the kickoff and to learn more.