The value of what is learned in school, and the value of a public library, is not often understood by today's youth. JA City gives 5th and 8th grade students the unique opportunity to spend a full day applying their learning in JA City — comprised of a variety of storefronts and essential partners in economic development: banks, utility companies, retailers, city hall and, now, a public library. Last year, 95,000 JA youth experienced realities and opportunities of work and entrepreneurship in the global marketplace.

The partnership with JA City began in 2016 when we realized their City did not have a public library. A storefront wasn't available so we constructed a book cart where librarians would hand out maps to the City and assist with daily voting and button making. We moved to a storefront branch in 2018 and added another STEM component: flyer creation. Students have the chance to experience the roles of a librarian, branch manager and volunteer coordinator. They also manage library service fees of other storefronts.

The inclusion of a branch in JA City reinforces the value that libraries provide individuals and businesses as they pursue their professional goals. The partnership promotes both financial literacy education and soft skills building. Youth are mentored to display leadership, strong communication skills, teamwork and innovation — the students often switch up the county library offerings to best meet the needs of that day's participants. All youth receive a SLCL backpack for interacting with the JA City branch.