Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation

The Free Library of Philadelphia, in partnership with nine community agencies, will develop a model for how public libraries can fully integrate their work with the broader systems of workforce development and adult education. The project will utilize a collective impact approach, emphasizing mutually reinforcing activities, shared measurement systems, and continuous communication, to drive social change. The work of the partners will be centered in the Paschalville neighborhood in Southwest Philadelphia, which is characterized by extreme poverty, high unemployment, and low levels of educational obtainment. The project will have a special focus on serving the needs of residents from immigrant/refugee communities or who have a history of incarceration. Building on a prior planning grant, the Free Library and its partners will share the model nationally with the library profession and social service sector.