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CHICAGO — The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) has announced the 24 participants of the last cohort of its project. The project is funded by the and implemented in partnership with the .

The cohort marks the final year of the three-year long project, which aims to build the capacity of small, rural and tribal libraries to provide college and career readiness (CCR) services for and with middle schoolers.

"It is exciting to see how the library staff of Cohort 3 will partner with organizations in their community building off the lessons learned from Cohorts 1 & 2,” said YALSA President Crystle Martin. “The partnerships and career and college ready programming that this cohort develops will create new opportunities and exposure to new potential futures for middle school students in their local small, rural, and tribal communities.”

The participants are:

• Boyd, Kia; Atchison (Kansas) Public Library
• Brunner, Catherine (Kate); Pine River Library; Bayfield, CO
• Claiborne, Jenny; C.E. Weldon Public Library; Martin, TN
• Connery, Dianne; Pottsboro (Texas) Area Public Library
• DeVries, Chris; West Noble Middle School; Ligonier, IN
• Enger, Carla; Robert W. Rowe Public Library; Sheridan, IL
• Frost, Ashley; Gibsonville (North Carolina) Public Library
• Golde, Rachelle; Hutchinson (Minnesota) Public Library
• Hahn, Tyler; Cherokee (Iowa) Public
• Hayden, John; Bonham (Texas) Public Library
• Hertzberg, Amy; Nevada (Missouri) Middle School Library
• Hollin, Connie; Plate County School District ; Guernsey, WY
• Jacklaw, Erik; City of Commerce (California) Library
• Kuzmich, Elizabeth; Mechanicville (New York) Public Library
• Lewis, Lisa; Show Low (Arizona) Library
• Mayes, Ashley; Shannon River Joint School District; Riggin, ID
• Paschal, Jessica; Artesia (New Mexico) Public Library
• Pederson, Brooke; Upper Skagit Library; Concrete, WA
• Pierce, Karen; Butler County Federated Library; Slippery Rock, PA
• Roscup, Roxanne; Sodus (New York) Community Library
• St. Amand, Carol; Jabish Brook Middle School Library; Belchertown, MA
• Tegmeyer, Carly; Pike County Public Library; Petersburg, IN
• Wissbrod, Megan; Divide County High School Library; Crosby, ND

Participants of the last cohort will participate in a two-day orientation in conjunction with YALSA’s in Salt Lake City, UT and take part in a virtual community of practice through the rest of the year.

At the conclusion of the project, tangible, turnkey resources such as templates for program planning and partner development will be freely available and ready for use by the library community at-large. Learn more about the project .

The mission of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) is to support library staff in alleviating the challenges teens face, and in putting all teens ‒ especially those with the greatest needs ‒ on the path to successful and fulfilling lives. For more information about YALSA or to access national guidelines and other resources go to , or contact the YALSA office by phone, 800-545-2433, ext. 4390; or e-mail: yalsa@ala.org.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is the primary source of federal support for the nation's approximately 120,000 libraries and 35,000 museums and related organizations. The agency’s mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. Its grant making, policy development, and research help libraries and museums deliver valuable services that make it possible for communities and individuals to thrive. To learn more, visit and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.