Teen Squad IMLS Grant Overview
In 2016, PPL received a three-year IMLS (Institute of Museum and Library Services) National Leadership Grant to provide more than 600 teens free, accessible, high-quality competency-based learning opportunities, leading to digital credentials, academic credit, exposure to the world of work, and entry into education and career pathways. PPL’s Teen Squad was created as a result of our work on this grant.
Teen Squad is the umbrella term for all of PPL’s teen workforce development initiatives. Our Teen Squad programs are driven by youth interests while focusing on work readiness and 21st-century skills development. Through diverse community partnerships, PPL offers interactive and engaging competency-based programming that builds relationships, expands minds, and connects teens to workforce development opportunities.
One of the IMLS grant goals was to create a shared, scalable and replicable framework that harnesses library collections and resources, community partners, and mentoring that is driven by student interest and aligned to education and workforce development standards with measurable outcomes. These goals are realized through our IMLS Teen Grant Outcomes Dashboard and our IMLS Teen Squad Resource Database.