Dear CLEL members,

It’s finally time to sign up for CLEL’s Project READY Minicourse cohorts! Many, many thanks to the facilitators who volunteered to host. We are collecting commitments from participants now through Sept 30. Please use this form to select from a list of cohort options. The form asks participants to choose 2 biweekly meeting times that work for them. Once the form is closed, the CLEL Training Committee will distribute participants into cohorts based on their indicated preferences. This will help us ensure that no cohort is too big or too small to run smoothly. Some things to note while filling out the form: If only one cohort meeting time works for you, or if you have a strong preference between your selections, there is a place to indicate that on the form. You can view the draft schedule (subject to minor changes) to help guide your decisions. Please note that occasional conflicts with the meeting times you select are not an issue, but participants are responsible for giving their facilitator advanced notice about any meetings they cannot make. If too many participants can’t make a regularly scheduled meeting, the facilitator may decide to reschedule and will need time to coordinate. If you have questions or concerns about joining a cohort, contact info@clel.org

If you missed the details about our Project READY Minicourse cohorts, keep on reading! You can get up to speed with the info below:

What is Project READY?

Project READY: Reimagining Equity & Access for Diverse Youth is a free, online professional development curriculum for school and public youth services librarians, library administrators, and others interested in improving their knowledge about race and racism, racial equity, and culturally sustaining pedagogy. The primary focus of the Project READY curriculum is on improving relationships with, services to, and resources for youth of color and Native youth.

How is the CLEL Project READY Minicourse different from Project READY?

A task force of youth librarians went through the full Project READY curriculum with a fine-toothed comb, picking out the most pertinent resources for CLEL members! This minicourse is designed specifically for public library staff who work closely with youth. The task force refined the amount of content significantly, to make working through and completing the minicourse attainable for library staff who are committed to equity work, but who do not have the capacity to commit to the full Project READY curriculum.

What are “cohorts?”

Cohorts are small groups that consist of one facilitator and ~5-8 participants. Cohorts will complete the curriculum on a set schedule and commit to meeting as a group every other week to discuss the scheduled content. What do cohort facilitators do? Successful CLEL Project READY Minicourse facilitators are not only committed to this work, but are comfortable organizing and guiding a small group of adult learners. Facilitators will complete the minicourse content alongside their group members and utilize provided resources to facilitate discussions during biweekly meetings. They are responsible for sending meeting reminders and hosting the meeting Zoom room. No facilitation experience is necessary to hold this position.

What do cohort participants do?

Cohort participants complete the modules according to the provided schedule, and attend biweekly meetings. What is the time commitment for this 2024/2025 Project READY Minicourse session? Based on personal learning styles and engagement with optional resources, actual times may vary. Participants can expect to commit approximately 2 hours per week to this work, which accounts for both individual study time and group meetings. Study cohorts will run from starting Oct 5, break from Dec 21-Jan3, and convene again from Jan 4-25.