University of California, Irvine

The Connected Learning Lab at the University of California Irvine will study the development and dissemination of models necessary for scaling effective programs for youth from underserved communities. The project builds on the connected learning (CL) approach—combining personal interests, supportive relationships, and new opportunities for academic, career, and personal growth. This research will examine key needs for teen services: (1) the challenges library staff face in designing and implementing CL programming for underserved teens and the means for overcoming these challenges, (2) ways library staff can use evaluative approaches to understand youth needs in CL programming, and (3) the means of demonstrating the value of CL programs and building stakeholder support for increasing their scope and scale, particularly to serve equity goals. By studying ways to address these needs, they will contribute to a learning and resource infrastructure that can build the capacity of library staff to create services relevant to teens’ lives. The project will develop, test, and disseminate existing and new products for librarians, including training modules, guidebooks, mentoring supports, case studies, videos, practice briefs, topical papers, and blogs.