View Project

G2S Project Code: 2023-PA-93723
State: Pennsylvania
Fiscal Year: 2023

Grantee
Pennsylvania Humanities Council

Project Director
Director Name: Julia Katz
Director Phone: (215) 925-1005
Director Email: jkatz@pahumanities.org

General Information
Title: Teen Reading Lounge
State Project Code:
Start Date: 10/01/2023
End Date: 09/30/2024
Abstract: In FY 23, PA Humanities’ (PAH) impactful programming led to positive outcomes for youth ages 13-18 and their communities, engaging nearly 300 youth across the state. The Teen Reading Lounge (TRL) program took place in five libraries. TRL helped libraries and out-of- school time (OST) providers deliver interactive programming that encouraged teens to use the humanities to discuss and understand how they interact with the world, building a community of well-informed, highly engaged adults. PAH also hosted its second year of the Youth-Led Humanities (YLH) program, which helped nine libraries and four OST providers create “sustainable youth-led humanities programming and engagement” that is informed by 10 years of TRL best practices, including 2022 stakeholder focus groups. PAH also offered 10 well-received professional development sessions for library and OST staff on best practices for provision of youth humanities programming, giving program leaders opportunities to collaborate.
State Goal: Libraries as Community Catalysts

Budget Information

LSTA

MATCH-State

MATCH-Other

Total

$190,001.83

$0.00

$190,001.83

Intent(s)
Improve users' ability to converse in community conversations around topics of concern.
Education
After-school activities

Activities

Activity Details
Title: Teen Reading Lounge/Youth Led Humanities Communities of Practice Calls
Narrative: In FY 23, PAH held 8 Community of Practice calls to build the capacity of libraries and OST programs to sustain humanities learning. Community of Practice calls gave leaders opportunities to discuss successes and challenges with one another. Calls covered topics relevant to programming, such as Hart’s Ladder of Participation, how to have difficult conversations, and discussing current events with teens. PA Humanities staff also provided administrative information to participants during the calls. Program implementation surveys were administered to leaders at the program year midpoint and year end to gather program leaders feedback. Survey results indicate that program leaders appreciated the opportunity to connect with their peers and to share best practices, successes, and challenges. As one survey respondent shared: "…being able to connect and share resources / support is fabulous. It’s so refreshing to be part of a cohort that incorporates grounding, mindfulness, and collaboration.”
Intent: Improve users' ability to converse in community conversations around topics of concern.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Program
Format: Virtual

Quantity
Session length (minutes): 90
Number of sessions in program: 8
Average number in attendance per session: 8
Number of times program administered: 1

Partner Information

Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: Yes
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No

Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No

Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: Yes
For a targeted group or for the general population: General

Locale
Is the activity state-wide: Yes
Specific Locations: No
Library Types

Public Libraries: 14
Academic Libraries: 0
SLAA: 0
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 0
School Libraries: 0
Other: 4

Question 1: I learned something by participating in this library activity.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0
Question 2: I feel more confident about what I just learned.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0
Question 3: I intend to apply what I just learned.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0
Question 4: Applying what I learned will help improve library services to the public.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0

Activity Details
Title: Teen Reading Lounge/Youth Led Humanities
Narrative: In FY 23, 18 organizations operated TRL or YLH program across the state. Five were libraries providing TRL programming that had implemented TRL previously. Thirteen sites operated YLH programs: 9 libraries and 4 out-of-school time (OST) providers. TRL and YLH sites designed their programs to meet the needs of their organizational and community needs, and so offered a range of sessions. Grounded in positive youth development research, TRL believes that young people must take an active role in their learning. PAH designed the TRL and YLH models to support positive youth development by leveraging supportive relationships that help participants develop critical skills such as collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and leadership. A total of 279 teens participated in either TRL (42) or YLH (237). Past evaluations demonstrate that a core group that consistently attends is invaluable to program success, allowing teens to build relationships and participate in longer-term projects.
Intent: Improve users' ability to converse in community conversations around topics of concern.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Program
Format: In-person

Quantity
Session length (minutes): 90
Number of sessions in program: 251
Average number in attendance per session: 8
Number of times program administered: 18

Partner Information

Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: Targeted
Geographic community of the targeted group: Urban
Suburban
Rural
For what age groups: 13-17 years
For what economic types: Below Poverty
For what ethnicity types: Asian
Black
Hispanic
Is the activity directed at families: No
Is the activity directed at intergenerational groups: No
Is the activity directed at immigrants/refugees: No
Is the activity directed at those with disabilities: No
Limited functional literacy or informational skills: No
Is the activity category not already captured: No

Locale
Is the activity state-wide: Yes
Specific Locations: No
Library Types

Public Libraries: 14
Academic Libraries: 0
SLAA: 0
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 0
School Libraries: 0
Other: 4

Question 1: I learned something by participating in this library activity.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0
Question 2: I feel more confident about what I just learned.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0
Question 3: I intend to apply what I just learned.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0
Question 4: I am more aware of resources and services provided by the library.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0
Question 5: I am more likely to use other library resources and services.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0

Project Outcomes
Project Outcomes
List any important outcomes or findings not previously reported:
In 2023-24, PAH successfully achieved the objective of recruiting program participants who are diverse in race, gender, and socioeconomic status. Program sites recruited a diverse group of participants in their programs, which amplified the opportunity for empathy-building conversations. PAH successfully placed programming in lower income communities and worked to ensure that it was offered to a diverse range of minority students. There was a continued shift towards gender diversity within the program (17% non-cisgendered participants compared to 10% during the prior program year). Teen participants from both TRL and YLH shared overwhelmingly positive feedback about the programs. The majority of survey respondents indicated that they intend to apply what they learned and are more aware of other resources and services at their libraries. They also emphasized how the program helped them better understand other viewpoints, express their own thoughts and feelings, and to feel brave or more confident. Overall, feedback from program leaders was positive and reflected on how much they valued the opportunity to collaborate with teens. Program leaders shared that the best practices and skills they learned would be applied to improve the services and programs at their sites. Participants shared that professional development sessions gave them a better understanding of how to implement a successful program, increased their confidence in implementing youth programming. Details of this survey-gathered feedback and comparative outcomes for TRL and YLH are available in the attachments. As a youth-centered program, TRL youth selected texts to explore based on topics and issues they are interested in and participate in group discussions to explore these issues and link to community action. By extension, the goal of Youth-Led Humanities is to help partnering organizations move from youth-centered to youth-led programming, using the humanities to engage youth in meaningful ways that build their leadership skills in a welcoming, affirming, and inclusive environment. Examples of site activities include: Bradford Area Public Library: Teens selected a range of texts (The Great Pauline Fink by Ali Benjamin, Starfish by Lisa Fipps, Legend by Marie Lu, 1984 by George Orwell, Across the Desert by Dusti Bowling, Little Thieves by Margaret Owen) and held a Read-a-Thon on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Greensburg Hempfield Area Library: Teens read The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, then designed activities extending its themes including art experimentation with crayon rubbings, genealogy research skill-building, and a community “spooky tea party” that teens organized by committee. Cambria County Library: Teens chose and read Scythe by Neal Shusterman, which led to a formal discussion on concepts of death and immortality, with extension activities like creating their own scythes and robes. Teens are already planning future activities as they read subsequent texts. See Scranton Times article attached to final report for YLH activities at Abington Community Library.
Please briefly describe the importance of these outcomes and findings for future program planning:
The positive youth outcomes captured in the evaluation of PAH’s 2023-24 efforts indicate that the TRL and YLH models support teens’ positive development as they grow into young adults. The positive facilitator outcomes indicate that the TRL and YLH models create opportunities for both participants and facilitators to build community and learn with and from one another. The evaluation report provided specific evidence about the impact of the community of practice on youth serving practitioners and gave clear recommendations for how to support cohort members going forward, especially around the areas that need additional training and capacity building.
Explain one or two of the most significant lessons learned for others wanting to adopt any facets of this project:
PAH reports that, for others wanting to adopt the model of youth engagement presented in TRL and YLH, this work will help meet the ongoing, statewide need to provide resources to librarians and other youth-serving practitioners, building a community of practice that empowers them to engage and respond to youth needs sustainably and equitably. One of the things TRL/YLH sites value most is the opportunity to connect with and learn from veteran sites. Sharing resources among a community of peers while also building skills is an important and necessary balance to strike for a meaningful community of practice experience that ultimately improves program experiences for youth
Do you anticipate continuing this project after the current reporting period ends:
Yes
Do you anticipate any change in level of effort in managing this project:
Yes
Explain:
Next year we plan to be responsive to libraries needs by providing more support around recruitment, planning, and attendance. We will also incorporate Project READY trainers and veteran sites to make more systemic change in how libraries create belonging and inclusion for the youth they serve.
Do you anticipate changing the types of activities and objectives addressed by the project:
No
Explain:

Was an evaluation conducted for this project:
Yes
Was a final written evaluation report produced:
Yes
Can the final written evaluation report be shared publicly on the IMLS website:
Yes
Was the evaluation conducted by project staff (either SLAA or local library) or by a third-party evaluator:
Third-Party
What data collection tools were used for any report outcomes and outputs:
Administrative Records
Review Surveys
Direct Observation
Interviews
Did you collect any media for the data:
Photos
What types of methods were used to analyze collected data:
Statistical Methods
Qualitative Methods
Other:
How were participants (or items) selected:
Census – We selected everyone (or every item).
What type of research design did you use to compare the value for any reported output or outcome:
No comparison for any reported output or outcome:

Exemplary: No
Exemplary Narrative

Project Tags: