Verizon Foundation/Thinkfinity.org sponsors AASL's L4L Summit
Contact: Melissa Jacobsen
AASL Communications Specialist
(312) 280-4381
NEWS
For Immediate Release
February 24, 2009
CHICAGO – The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) will host an all-day training summit, "Learning4Life: Training4Trainers," on July 9 in Chicago prior to ALA 2009 Annual Conference. The summit is designed to train state-level coordinators in the development of customized state-level implementation strategies for AASL's standards and guidelines.
The summit will be underwritten by AASL and partially offset by a generous donation by Verizon Foundation/Thinkfinity.org. Thinkfinity.org is the Verizon Foundation's signature education and literacy program providing more than 55,000 educational resources to teachers, students and parents. Its goal is to improve student achievement in traditional classroom settings and beyond by providing high-quality content and extensive professional development training.
"The assistance from the Verizon Foundation/Thinkfinity.org with launching AASL's national professional development program for the standards and guidelines validates the importance for leadership preparation to ensure all school library media specialists throughout the country have the opportunity to attend a learning standards and guidelines session. AASL greatly appreciates the supports of Verizon Foundation/Thinkfinity.org," said Ann M. Martin, AASL president.
Learning4Life (L4L) is the national implementation plan for the “Standards for the 21st-Century Learner” and the forthcoming “Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs.” "Learning4Life: Training4Trainers" will allow state-level coordinators the opportunity to work collaboratively with AASL leadership, the Standards and Guidelines Implementation Task Force and AASL staff to further implementation efforts of AASL's standards and guidelines. The summit is open to all AASL affiliates that have completed the current re-affiliation cycle.
Susan Ballard, chair of the Standards and Guidelines Implementation Task Force, said, "The interests of the students we serve require us all to make our best effort to successfully implement AASL's standards and guidelines. The creation of a cohort of like-minded and well-trained professionals will help to address the needs of 21st-Century students and ensure that school library media programs are central to their 'Learning4Life.'"
The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications, supports the advancement of literacy and K-12 education through its signature program, Thinkfinity.org, and fosters awareness and prevention of domestic violence. For more information on the foundation, visit
www.verizon.com/foundation.
The American Association of School Librarians,
www.aasl.org, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), promotes the improvement and extension of library media services in elementary and secondary schools as a means of strengthening the total education program. Its mission is to advocate excellence, facilitate change and develop leaders in the school library media field.
