Prince William Public Library Foundation
Project Title
For project support to expand reach and services through their English as a Second Language and workforce development programs
Date
Jun. 05, 2025
Duration
24 months
Description
The Education program has selected elevenpublic libraries as part of its Libraries as Pillars of Education and Democracy initiative, a two-year, $5 million grant program launched in December 2024. These libraries were chosen through a competitive process from over 1,400 expressions of interest, demonstrating commitment to expanding English proficiency programs for adults and enhancing college readiness for teens. With this support, libraries will scale their impact and create new opportunities for students. Prince William Public Libraries (PWPL) is among the elevenselected libraries. With Corporation support, they will expand their ESL and workforce programs to meet the demand in Prince William County, Virginia, where 42 percent of residents speak a language other than English. PWPL will partner with Northern Virginia Community College’s TESOL certificate program to provide leveled ESL classes. PWPL will also train twelvelibrarians to become TESOL-certified instructors to build internal capacity. Additionally, PWPL will serve 10,000 individuals through ESL classes, online and in-person resources.