The Art Of Development: Lakewood Public Library Foundation Supports Student Achievement

During these trying economic times college prep resources are at a premium for Lakewood's aspiring baccalaureates. With college tuition costs on the rise, families are looking for affordable ways to prepare teens on the cusp of adulthood for the college admissions process. The Lakewood Public Library Foundation is doing its part to support this student population by funding an annual ACT preparation course, administered by the Princeton Review.

"Our goal is to to help students raise their test scores who otherwise might not be able to afford a course like this on their own," says Lynn Foran, community activist and President of the Lakewood Public Library Foundation. "We know that a higher ACT test score increases a student's acceptance into a college and can also directly affect college scholarship opportunities."

The Lakewood Public Library Foundation was established in 1994 to support Lakewood's learners, young and old, by increasing access to knowledge and information through traditional and emerging mediums. According to its website, "The Foundation is especially challenged by the information revolution and the inevitable transformation of the Lakewood Public Library."

In college, students will prepare to meet the challenging demands of career and citizenship in a digitizing world. By helping students to achieve higher scores on their ACT exams, the Foundation is addressing this key strategic goal, head on. The classes took place in the Main Library Learning Lab, where library staff also administer computer and information literacy classes designed to empower adults to cross the digital divide. Both the Foundation and library adult instruction team are working to address these critical, 21 century needs.

And the impact of the Foundation's efforts on Lakewood's late-teen learners is clear. Participant feedback from the most recent ACT Preparation session glows with expressions of appreciation and growing confidence. One participant noted that Princeton Review instructor Pete Brodnick "explained everything." Many students commented on the breadth of material covered. "He kept the course going at a good pace and answered all of our questions," said another participant.

Services like the Foundation's ACT preparation course help to position Lakewood's late teens to achieve success and happiness in a rapidly changing world that requires both traditional and digital smarts. They get there through a connection to our culture's storehouse of information, the public library.