The $1M Grant for Civic Makers Lab for Youth (15-18) will help the selected libraries empower young people to practice democracy and lead community change

Contact: Evan Ottenfeld, Director of Strategic Communications - eottenfeld@urbanlibraries.org
Angely Montilla, Andrew Carnegie Foundation - aem@carnegie.org

WASHINGTON, DC - The Urban Libraries Council (ULC) is proud to announce the 10 participating member libraries for its Civic Makers Lab for Youth (15-18) project, made possible by a generous grant from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation, formerly Carnegie Corporation of New York.

The 10 ULC members selected, all with Carnegie branches, are:

1. Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
2. Cleveland Public Library
3. Free Library of Philadelphia
4. New Orleans Public Library
5. The New York Public Library
6. The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County
7. Queens Public Library
8. The Salt Lake City Public Library
9. San José Public Library
10. St. Louis Public Library

“Public libraries are uniquely situated to turn the tide on youth disengagement. We thank Carnegie for their investment in this work,” said Brooks Rainwater, President & CEO of the Urban Libraries Council. “These ten ULC libraries are already essential pillars of their communities. We hope these grants allow them to take their work to empower young people to the next level.”

"Andrew Carnegie's investment in free public libraries was rooted in the belief that access to knowledge should be available to everyone,” said Ambika Kapur, a program director for Education at the Andrew Carnegie Foundation. "The Civic Makers Lab carries a similar spirit forward, giving people hands-on opportunities to practice civic skills and lead change in their own communities, with librarians equipped to guide that work. We're glad to support the Urban Libraries Council and the libraries in expanding what's possible.”

The Civic Makers Lab concept is a peer-learning program that equips librarians to serve as civic learning facilitators, and empowers youth and young adults to be active contributors to their communities. The participating libraries will offer hands-on civic learning experiences that complement school education, and partner with community organizations and families to deepen civic impact.

The project builds on ULC’s current and past initiatives to support youth and democracy, and complements similar programming aimed at young adults aged 18-24.

The Andrew Carnegie Foundation, originally established as Carnegie Corporation of New York in 1911, works to reduce political polarization through grants that support ladders of opportunity and a more peaceful world. Its funding provides individuals with the knowledge and tools needed to improve their lives, participate fully in society, and advance peace.

The Urban Libraries Councilis an innovation and action tank of nearly 200 of North America’s leading public library systems. We drive cutting-edge research and strategic partnerships to elevate the power of libraries as essential, transformative institutions for the 21st century.