By 2018, an estimated 63 percent of jobs will require a four-year college degree, an associate’s degree, or a post-high school credential. Right now, just a little more than a third of Montgomery County adults (36%) have some kind of degree. The region is working to increase college enrollment, and the first hurdle is ensuring students have the knowledge and resources needed. Our goal was to position the Dayton Metro Library as a strong community anchor, partnering with other agencies to strengthen the economic capacity of the community and develop a template for significant educational partnerships.

Community partners asked the Library to help fill the gap in providing career/college exploration opportunities for teens. This pilot program created both a physical and virtual destination for teens and parents to discover information regarding career choices and educational opportunities/costs.

We offer:

• an enhanced collection of college preparatory materials,
• special Library cards to remove barriers to access materials and resources, and
• Career Cruising: a library-sponsored database to aid students in determining their career interests, aptitudes and educational goals.

At “Power Lunches,” librarians visited dozens of school cafeterias, showcasing the resources and highlighting career-focused programming for tweens/teens.

Through focus groups and regional asset mapping, it was determined that DML’s role will focus specifically on providing services that encourage children 11-16 to start exploring career interests. Evaluations revealed that middle-schoolers are thinking about their future careers and how they will get into (and pay for) college. Providing specially-branded programs, collections, resources, as well as online and in-person support, encourages young people to think about their career options and educational paths to achieve their goals. It’s a vital step for workforce development, and we’re proud the region’s leaders and area youth look to DML to meet this need.