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4 <br />clerks and tutors in children's, teen and adult programs. Some of our part-timers are paid through the General <br />Fund and others through various grants. <br />In recent years, the library has a record of unusual success in attracting teens to its TeenSpace and supporting <br />them through its many programs. The TeenSpace is advised by the Teen library Club. As a group, these teens <br />have contributed many thousands of hours of community service to the library, 98 percent have graduated from <br />high school and 90 percent have gone on to higher education. These are teens that do not represent the top 10- <br />20 percent of their high school class. They are not involved in student government or school activities. They <br />are the quiet at -risk youth whom no one notices. But at our TeenSpace, they are noticed, nurtured and <br />appreciated. <br />The library has maintained a high number of ongoing programs for teens, including a very intensive Summer <br />Volunteer Institute (SVI) that encourages teens to find self worth and civic engagement though giving back to <br />their community. Last summer nearly 200 teens donated some 6,000 hours of their time to supporting programs <br />for library patrons of all ages, mentoring over 200 children in our "Buddy" programs, helping limited English <br />speaking adults to master computer technology and improve job skills, volunteering at community events, and <br />becoming involved in the social and educational life of their community. All together, the library conducted <br />nearly 90 programs for teens during the summer at three sites. <br />At present, teens continue to volunteer through the school year in math, reading, fitness and art "Buddy" <br />programs aimed at young children. There are daily activities for teens at both library branches and the Jerome <br />Recreation Center, including the Youth Health Ambassadors, history, civics, green living scholarship, fitness <br />and Teen Library clubs as well as arts, literature, video production and graphic arts workshops and tutoring in <br />math and reading. Half of our part time staff are involved exclusively in assisting with these projects, and are <br />experienced and committed to the growth and development of the young people they work with. <br />The majority of teens hired through our grant programs have begun their contact with the library through the <br />volunteer program. Our volunteers are mentored by staff and older teens and transition age young adults (18- <br />24), and encouraged to develop personal and academic goals and an understanding of the importance of their <br />work to themselves and others. <br />The library has also been unusually effective in working with probation youth Volunteers. Annually, forty to <br />fifty probation youth complete their community service at the library. Ten to fifteen of those continue <br />volunteering at the library when their community service responsibilities are concluded. <br />In all of our youth -centered programs, two guiding principles have been primary: The Circle of Mentoring <br />concept and its logical successor, the Seeds to Trees concept. The first emphasizes the value to both mentor and <br />mentee of a close and lasting supportive relationship, and the second the value of providing long-term <br />mentoring, teaching and financial support for developing youth. These principles are the basis of our success <br />with WIA youth in our 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 programs. All full-time employees at the library are involved <br />in mentoring the students we employ under WIA. In addition, the library has been able to supplement this <br />personal support with organizational support in the form of educational and personal counseling, transportation <br />to classes, and paid internships at the library. To attest to the impact of library services, in 201 1-2012, out of 20 <br />students in the Seeds to Trees Digital MediaTechnology Academy program, nine completed a high school <br />diploma or GGD, 9 students enrolled in post -secondary education, 15 found employment, 16 demonstrated an <br />improvement in basic skills, and all 20 received digital media technology credentials (refer to attachment L). <br />EXHIBIT A <br />