Mesa Public Library receives $15K young adult civic learning grant

Mesa Public Library is one of 10 libraries nationwide to receive $15,000 as part of the Civic Makers Lab for Adults initiative from the Urban Libraries Council.

The program equips librarians to serve as civic learning facilitators and empowers young adults ages 18-24 to be active contributors to their communities, according to a release.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to provide this program for young adults in and around Mesa,” Library Director Polly Bonnett said in the release. “Libraries play a vital role in civic life and are in a unique position to engage young residents in the process. Through the Civic Makers Lab program, we can provide the tools and resources to empower the next generation to strengthen the community.”

The program will help young adults acquire civic knowledge and skills through action, harnessing experiential learning methods that will help them build new pathways rooted in curiosity, connection and problem-solving.

“It’s more important than ever for our young leaders to see libraries as safe, inclusive spaces where they can dream, explore and ask questions. That’s how we help create the community leaders of tomorrow,” Brooks Rainwater, president and CEO of the Urban Libraries Council, said in the release. “At a moment when civic education is often politicized, or nonexistent, libraries can play a defining role in strengthening civic health through hands-on, real-world learning.”

The library will use the grant to implement young adult civic learning experiences such as simulations, community design challenges, project-based civic action and civic awareness campaigns, including a small pilot project and a larger project.

To sign up for a library card or to learn more about the library’s resources and programs, go to https://www.mesalibrary.org.