The New York Public Library’s Literacy Leaders Recognized by the Urban Libraries Council for Library Innovation

Literacy Leaders, a tutoring and mentoring program pairing elementary school students with high schoolers, receives top award from the ULC  

July 31, 2015 -  Literacy Leaders, one of The New York Public Library’s Out-of-School Time programs, was recently presented the 2015 Top Innovator in Economic and Workforce Development award by the Urban Libraries Council (ULC) as part of its Sixth Annual Innovations Initiative, which recognizes a small number of libraries for their work developing leading-edge programs significantly benefitting local residents and their communities.

Literacy Leaders helps high school teens develop literacy coaching and job readiness skills, while building their resumes and their confidence as tutors for first and second graders. Participants earn high school credit, increasing their chances of graduating and helping them develop a strong relationship with the Library. The elementary school students get help with reading skills, and gain strong academic mentors. In the 2014-2015 school year, 136 teens earned high school credit, and over 200 first and second graders participated.

The program runs in three cycles. The fall cycle is a semester-long high school course; the curriculum, created by NYPL, is aligned with the Common Core standards in English Language Arts and is approved by public school principals. For student recruitment, Library staff work with high school guidance counselors to identify teens who are in danger of not graduating but are motivated to improve. Those who successfully complete the course and earn credit may apply to serve as a paid tutor for first and second grade students during the Spring and Summer cycles. Parents can enroll their children in one or both of the sessions for two to four days per week.

“The New York Public Library is developing engaging and impactful educational programs that build the love of reading and learning in youth of all ages. We are proud of Literacy Leaders because it allows teens to serve as valuable role models and tutors for beginning readers while reinforcing their own literacy skills,” said Mary Lee Kennedy, Chief Library Officer of The New York Public Library.

Major support for after-school programming is provided by Arthur W. Koenig; the Andreas C. Dracopoulos Family Endowment for Young Audiences; Stavros Niarchos Foundation; the Mr. and Mrs. Timothy R. Barakett Endowment for Children's and Young Adult Programs and Services; the E.H.A. Foundation Endowment for Literacy Programming; The Bok Family Foundation; Booth Ferris Foundation; The New York Life Foundation; The Pinkerton Foundation; News Corp; The Walt Disney Company; and an anonymous donor, with additional support from the Estate of Brooke Russell Astor and the Estate of Mary McConnell Bailey. NYPL would like to thank TASC for its assistance.

About The New York Public Library

The New York Public Library is a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With 92 locations—including research and branch libraries—throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars, and has seen record numbers of attendance and circulation in recent years. The New York Public Library serves more than 18 million patrons who come through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at nypl.org. To offer this wide array of free programming, The New York Public Library relies on both public and private funding. Learn more about how to support the Library at nypl.org/support.