Rangeview Library District and its Anythink libraries are the recipients of a grant funded by the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to design a digital learning lab for teens at Anythink Wright Farms in Thornton, Colo. Anythink is one of 12 museums and libraries in the U.S. to receive this grant and serve as a national prototype for the learning labs project. The lab at Anythink Wright Farms will be designed to improve digital literacy and to engage young people in hands-on learning, providing 21^st century skills and knowledge they need to succeed in school, careers, and life today.

Anythink received $100,000 in funding from IMLS and the MacArthur Foundation to plan and design the learning lab at Anythink Wright Farms. These funds will help the district’s mission to “open doors for curious minds” and supports the library as a place for creativity, discovery and innovation. Not only will this lab act as a national prototype, but it will also be a model for potential digital learning labs at additional Anythink locations.

“This project gives Anythink an opportunity to collaborate with key libraries and museums throughout the country that are working on common goals,” says Anythink Director Pam Sandlian Smith. “Our staff will have an opportunity to develop challenging computer learning projects and support for our teens. This grant provides a path for furthering our development as a 21^st-century library.”

The learning lab at Anythink Wright Farms will be developed in partnership with the University of Denver School of Library and Information Science and other existing community and business partnerships. With the support of these partners, Anythink will focus the next year on staff training and teen program development, emphasizing digital media and collaboration/creativity in digital production. The lab itself is tentatively scheduled for completion in March 2013.

“With the help of this grant, Anythink will be able to continue their outstanding work with Colorado’s students and prepare our young people to meet the challenge of the global economy,” says U.S. Representative Jared Polis (CO-02). “The innovative learning lab is an exciting and welcome addition to Thornton. I thank everyone at Anythink for their commitment to our community.”

Although 30 percent of the population is under 18, there are limited services and support for teens in Adams County and few places to engage in creative projects and learning. Inspired by the YOUmedia Chicago project, the learning lab at Anythink Wright Farms will include spaces for teens to “hang out,” “geek out,” and “mess around,” providing an out-of-school space for teens to experiment and be creative while developing 21^st century skills. Another major focus of the project is in developing a mentorship program where Anythink staff and community members partner with teens to provide support for their creative development.

“This competition was announced in answer to President Obama’s ‘Educate to Innovate’ campaign, a nationwide effort to bring American students to the forefront in science and math, to provide the workers of tomorrow with the skills they need today,” said Susan Hildreth, Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. “Libraries and museums are part of re-envisioning learning in the 21^st century; they are trusted community institutions where teens can follow their passions and imagine exciting futures.”

“Digital media are profoundly influencing young people’s lives, their behavior, their civic participation, and where and how they learn,” said Robert Gallucci, President of the MacArthur Foundation. “These innovative new teen labs are designed to provide young people with engaging and diverse opportunities for learning and exploration beyond the classroom. The nation’s libraries and museums play an important role in leveling the playing field by providing greater access to learning experiences that equip our young people with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the 21^st century.”

In addition to Rangeview Library District and its Anythink libraries, other recipients of the IMLS and the MacArthur Foundation learning labs grant include:

• Columbus Metropolitan Library (Columbus, Ohio)
• Da Vinci Discovery Center of Science and Technology (Allentown, Pa.)
• Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation
• Howard County Public Library (Columbia, Md.)
• Kansas City Public Library (Kansas City, Mo.)
• Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
• Nashville Public Library Foundation
• New York Hall of Science (New York, N.Y.)
• Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (Portland, Ore.)
• San Francisco Public Library
• St. Paul Public Library (St. Paul, Minn.)

The Urban Libraries Council (ULC) and the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) will administer the Learning Labs Project, bringing their critical expertise and professional networks to the effort, and will help amplify each grantee’s experiences more broadly to libraries and museums nationwide.