Courtesy photo
The Youth Services Department at the Beatley Central Library received an “Inclusive Internship Initiative” grant from the Public Library Association (PLA). The initiative is a Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Grant sponsored by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The grant enables the Library to support two paid summer internships.
The selected interns will work alongside mentors to create a connected learning project focused on civic engagement and the interns’ interests. The internship’s goal is to encourage teens to consider careers in libraries. Additionally, this internship aims to change the image of librarians and to bring diversity and inclusiveness to librarianship. The two interns chosen for the Alexandria Library are Josh Habib and Divine Tsasa Nzita.
Josh Habib – a rising freshman at the College of William and Mary – plans to study Biology, with the goal of becoming a doctor. Josh had volunteered in various Alexandria community organizations since a young age. Most recently, he volunteered with Alexandria Library through his Senior Experience internship sponsored by Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS). He enjoyed the work and people so much that he applied for the PLA internship.
Divine Tsasa Nzita – a rising junior at T.C. Williams High School has only lived in the U.S. for four years, but has volunteered every spare minute of it to help her community. She plans to study Family Counseling with a minor in Korean language and literature, and will use the library internship to improve her interpersonal skills.
“Alexandria Library is excited for the opportunity to provide our interns with on-the-job experience that can be used to further enhance the skills they already possess,” said Rose T. Dawson, Executive Director of Libraries. “We also recognize that being able to provide our future generation with a solid foundation that can be carried on for a lifetime is important for not only their success, but our growth, too.”
For more information on the “Inclusive Internship Initiative” grant, please contact Isaiah West at [email protected].
