Albuquerque Public Library Foundation Inc

The Albuquerque Public Library Foundation provides interior and exterior signage including Welcome Boards,, program flyers and marketing, a system-wide Event Guide, which is published three times a year, and support for the library system email communications.Beginning Birding Kits - The City of Albuquerque's Open Space Division and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service are bringing Beginning Birding Kits to The Public Library, Albuquerque and Bernalillo County. This effort is spearheaded by Open Space Coordinator / Education Supervisor Jessica Sapunar Jursich, supported by Fish and Wildlife and by the Albuquerque Public Library Foundation. This is a wonderful opportunity for our community members and their families to begin exploring the natural world from their own neighborhoods. The kits also include resources for exploring beyond our own backyards and taking advantage of the citys wonderful open spaces.Career Online High School - Career Online High School (COHS) is an online high school diploma and career certification program available through the New Mexico State Library and supported locally by the Albuquerque Public Library Foundation. This program offers free enrollment to residents of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County who are at least 19-years-old, have successfully completed 8th grade, and wish to earn their high school diploma. Applicants who successfully complete an online self-assessment and prerequisite course, followed by an in-person interview, will be considered for enrollment. Career Online High School pairs each student with an online academic coach, who provides the student with an individual career path, offers ongoing guidance, evaluates performance and connects the student with the resources needed to master the courses. Students will be given up to 18 months to complete the program. Successful graduates will earn a high school diploma and a career certification through an accredited high school.Community Baby Showers - New and expectant parents join the library staff and up to 20 community partners to learn more about services and programs available to young families. Partners include representatives from home visiting organizations, qualified personnel to teach the correct installation of car seats, health and wellness resources and, of course, library staff who emphasize the importance of reading to all children and who provide resources for families. The events are held in the Spring and Fall each year. Locations vary.Early Literacy Centers and Literacy Kits - Eleven branch libraries house Early Literacy Centers and most libraries circulate Early Literacy Kits. The Early Literacy Centers provide the perfect space for very young children to play and explore. The child sized furniture and shelving invite children to pick up board books and picture books and to play with developmentally appropriate toys. The toys are selected to improve skills: manipulatives for sorting and classifying and blocks for building and exploring shape, size and balance. Each Literacy Kit nurtures literacy in the home through the five Every Child Ready to Read themes: talking, reading, writing, singing and playing. The kits include a variety of age-appropriate books, games, puzzles, and toys selected to support parents preparing children to learn to read. A tip sheet for parents is included. Response is so robust that additional kits are provided each year. Every Child Ready to Read (ECRR) Story Times and Workshops - Pre-school Story Time, Music and Movement Story Time, Baby and Toddler Story Time all promote a love of reading, encourage interaction and group participation and support reading comprehension. The Foundation provides materials used in this programming such as board books, musical instruments, and early literacy toys. Parachutes, tunnels and puppets are popular enhancements to the programs.ECRR Workshops are presented to parents and caregivers of young children at public libraries and at other community locations such as APS Even Start Program, the YDI Pre-K Program and City Pre-Kindergartens. These sessions provide adults with skills and creative ideas for effective ways to prepare children to learn to read. Donations to the Albuquerque Public Library Foundation provide the funding for each parent or caregiver to take home a book so that the skills learned in the workshop may be immediately implemented in the home. Gardening, Food and Nutrition Classes for ALL Ages - Programs supported by the Albuquerque Public Library Foundation include Leaf to Library Gardens (indoor aeroponic gardens), Charlie Cart Programs which, using a complete kitchen on wheels, provide cooking experiences for groups, and Kitchen in a Box, which provides all the supplies needed for programs at any location. These cooking and garden programs relate food growth and preparation to science and math concepts, demonstrate healthy food choices, promote fun and creativity, demonstrate how to grow food and introduce new plants and foods.Community Garden - A community garden in the courtyard of the Main Library was created with funding from the Albuquerque Public Library Foundation. The garden will be used to not only educate groups on gardening in limited spaces but will also provide fruits and vegetables for library patrons. Read to the Dogs - Eight libraries host Read to the Dogs programs during which new or struggling readers are given the opportunity to sit quietly with a registered therapy dog and silent volunteer human handler to proactive reading aloud without fear of judgment. On average, there are 12 sessions offered each month throughout the year. Donations enrich this volunteer program by funding achievement certificates as well as stickers and bookmarks to record reading progress. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and STEAM (STEM + Art) Programs - Leap into Science programs explore gravity, sound, balancing, wind & measurement.- LEGO and other building programs such as circuit kits for lights and motors promote creativity, fun, engineering, problem solving, sorting and classifying by size and color and learning how power and circuits work together.- Afterschool STEAM programs include Code Clubs (learning computer coding/programming), Robots, Origami, Maker Spaces, including small 3-D printers, and STEM games and experiments.- Virtual Digital Programming programs expose students to audiovisual equipment, editing software and props.Ukuleles in the Library- A growing body of research affirms the role of music in literacy. The Public Library has ukuleles available to be checked out at seven locations throughout the City and County. Funding for the ukulele collection was provided through the generosity of Judy and Michael Muldawer and The Albuquerque Public Library Foundation. For more information visit the library website: www.abqlibrary.org/ukulele. Ukuleles are available at these libraries: East Mountain, Erna Fergusson, International District Juan Tabo, Rudolfo Anaya North Valley, San Pedro, Tony Hillerman and South Valley.