Uncategorized – Page 2 – San Jose Public Library Foundation

The San José Public Library Foundation (SJPLF) envisions a community where everyone has equal access to lifelong learning, empowering individuals to thrive in school, career, and life. SJPLF supports a variety of programs at the San José Public Library (SJPL), such as Resilience Corps Learning Pathways and STEAM at the Library. SJPLF is thrilled to highlight a remarkable collaboration between these programs that exemplifies the power of teamwork and collective impact.

The Resilience Corps focuses on economic and workforce development for young adults, concurrently aiding K-8th grade students in learning recovery from the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. After hiring young adults as Resilience Corps Associates, SJPLF places them with local organizations, including the San José Public Library, to extend after-school learning programs. Last academic year, Resilience Corps serviced 6,500+ students and enrolled 115 young adults in the program.

At the library, Resilience Corps Associates contribute to STEAM at the Library, a citywide program at SJPL aimed at enhancing access to free, quality STEAM learning programs for K-12 students. Associates undergo training on coding concepts and then lead STEAM classes at library branches, increasing accessibility to coding education in San José. This initiative not only benefits the students but also provides career opportunities for Resilience Corps Associates in the tech or education sectors. Last year, 3,648 K-12 students participated in STEAM programs.

This collaborative effort is a cause for celebration, and we’re committed to highlighting its success. Throughout the year, we will track the progress of these Resilience Corps Associates, showcasing their impact on the community and their personal growth.

A small group of Resilience Corps Associates had the unique opportunity to attend a professional development workshop at Apple Headquarters at the end of 2023. The workshop, “Code Your First App,” equipped them with essential skills using Playground in Swift. The day included discussions with Apple volunteers on the importance of prototyping when designing an app.

The event fostered a deeper understanding of the thought process behind app development and the significance of coding. Collaborative activities, such as brainstorming and prototyping using Keynote, allowed Associates to grasp the “why” behind coding – a critical perspective often overlooked.

This collaboration not only enhances technical skills but also cultivates a sense of community. By approaching city challenges through diverse perspectives, skills like prototyping and coding become powerful tools, not just for youth empowerment but also for sparking positive changes in personal lives. This collaborative effort aims to transform the present and create a future filled with opportunities for all.

As we celebrate the success of the Resilience Corps and STEAM at the Library collaboration, we recognize the transformative power of collective impact. Through shared goals, professional development opportunities, and a commitment to equity, we pave the way for a brighter future where access to quality education is a reality for everyone.

Learn more about Resilience Corps Learn more about STEAM at the Library

The Resilience Corps Learning Pathway is funded by #CaliforniansForAll.

Resilience Corps Associates are placed at a variety of partner organizations throughout San José in addition to SJPL. Those interested in applying to become Resilience Corps Associates are not guaranteed placement in any specific organization.

Born in Zacatecas, Mexico in 1927, my father Hijinio Reynoso, Sr was born with a passion for learning. Unfortunately, he was told by my grandmother that learning and any form of education was a thing of the devil…so… he was not allowed to go to school. But that didn’t stop him. He took it upon himself to acquire items like eggs from the neighbors’ chickens and other knickknacks he could sell so he could get the money to purchase school materials. He proudly walked into the first day of school only to have his mother storm in and pull him out after only one hour. That was the extent of my father’s formal education.

It wasn’t until he was 25 years old that someone shared with him that you could travel the world through books. Up until that point, he was illiterate. His passion for learning was reignited….so…. he taught himself to read and write.

My father’s primary occupation was as a farm laborer picking oranges. After a long exhausting day of manual labor, his co-workers would return home to relax and watch T.V. My father rushed home to read. I don’t ever remember coming home and not seeing a book in my father’s hand or near him.

Growing up my father would always ask me “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I’m sure it’s a common question all parents ask their children. In my case, no matter what I said, he would always respond “well you know you have to go to school for that and you have to study lots of books”. As a young child, I wanted to be a ballerina and a firefighter.

Books were as common in our house as food in a refrigerator. When we ran out, we would go to the library to check out more to “fill our pantry”. I learned to read when I was 3 years old and, from that age, it was engrained in me that books are to be respected, honored and cherished. We were not allowed to write in books, mark pages with “dog ears” or lay books on the floor.

Now, imagine my shock when I went off to college and I was told to mark the “important points” in my textbook by highlighting the section or underlining it with a pencil (and maybe even a pen). That was culture shock!

Education, learning, and books were always important to my father. When I lost him at the ripe age of 94 in 2021, I wanted to honor his memory and his influence on me and his influence on others by doing more than just a yearly donation to the San José Library Foundation. I wanted to find a way to honor him and the public libraries that have always been at the center of my life as a child, a young adult and now with my own children. That is why my husband and I decided to include the San José Public Library Foundation in our Family Trust.

By adding us to her Family Trust, Rosie joined SJPLF’s Epilogue Society, what we call our community of legacy givers. We are so grateful for Rosie’s passionate support and openness to share her library story.

Please join Rosie in sharing your library story with us at development@sjplf.org.

Learn more about legacy giving

🎉 Introducing the NEW Wee PlaySpace at Dr. Roberto Cruz-Alum Rock Branch! 🌟✨

It’s officially OPEN and ready for endless fun! 🥳

We’re passionate about supporting Wee Programs and PlaySpaces because we believe in the power of play and early childhood development. Learn more and get involved by visiting our website (link in bio).

Special thank you to Councilmember Ortiz!

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San José Public Library’s (SJPL) Hillview Branch Library partnered with the San José Public Library Foundation to host an App Design and Development Club for Girls workshop series, facilitated by volunteers from Apple which supports SJPL through its Community Education Initiative.

The course was specifically designed for girls due to their low representation in STEM programs, and technology and coding classes.

The three-day series emphasized app design and coding, and was created with the hope of fostering a comfortable and welcoming environment that encourages young girls to explore coding as a career option. This exposure to coding sparks interest, allows excellent learning experience and skill development, and cultivates community and motivation for girls entering this field of work.

Apple’s Community Education Initiative provides coding, creativity, and workforce opportunities for underrepresented communities. Along with the volunteers who led the club, Apple provided its technology, including iPad, for each learner and worked hand-in-hand with SJPL to design the program.

Students working together on a tablet computer.

“This is a coding club for girls, and we teach them the Swift programming language using Apple’s Swift Playgrounds, teach different coding concepts, and guide app design,” says volunteer instructor Allena V.

The program includes exercises that teach the basics of coding presented in a collaborative, engaging, and interactive format. Youth and volunteers used the Swift Playgrounds app on iPad where they used Swift coding language to help characters navigate puzzle worlds, change variables to change outcomes in touch events and more.

Girls also identified a challenge in their lives, storyboarded an app solution, and began to build an app prototype using Keynote. On the final day of camp, girls showcased app prototypes to help people stay organized, translate pet behaviors, create custom alarms using favorite songs and more.

Coding5K programs like this provide knowledge about coding and teach students to persevere in trying something they are passionate about regardless of any mistakes along the way. “Our main intent with this program is to ensure these girls understand what coding is, get an experience or insight into how app development is done, enjoy the whole experience, connect with other kids that they are working with, and are motivated to take this to the next level,” says volunteer instructor Stuti G.

Girls leave these coding classes feeling encouraged to try new things. They are empowered to make their future what they want whether in STEM, coding, or other fields.

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