For immediate release | July 22, 2019

Cohort 2 of YALSA’s Train the Trainer project announced

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CHICAGO — The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) has the of its project. The project is currently in its second year of implementation and is in partnership with the (COSLA) and generously funded by the .

Cohort 2 is made up of 97 state library agency staff and front-line library staff. They will participate in the project’s updated 2.5 day training. Year 2 trainings will be held in October and November in three separate locations – Seattle, September 28-30; Chicago, October 27-29; and Memphis, October 30-November 1, just before YALSA’s 2019 . Participants will build connected learning (CL), computational thinking (CT), and equity skills so they can better serve and meet the learning needs of youth in their communities. Following the training, each participant will facilitate a minimum of 30 hours of training for library staff across their state. the full list of .

In the third and final year of the project, a face-to-face summit featuring all cohort participants will take place in November 2020 in Reno, NV. At the summit, participants will discuss project successes and challenges and share resources that will help with the development of a resource database focused on CL and CT activities that will be shared as a free tool to the library community.

Learn more about the project at .

COSLA is an independent organization of the chief officers of state and territorial agencies designated as the state library administrative agency and responsible for statewide library development. Its purpose is to provide leadership on issues of common concern and national interest; to further state library agency relationships with federal government and national organizations; and to initiate cooperative action for the improvement of library services to the people of the United States.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s approximately and . Our mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. Our 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 and .

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.

Contact:

Anna Lam

Communications Specialist

Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA)

alam@ala.org