Occasionally, we’ll take a look at completed projects in an effort to provide transparency and ruminate on things that work and things we’d change on the next go-round.

ABC CREATE is an educational think tank based out of Penn State New Kensington that incubates best practices and develops training resources for K-12 STEAM educators in Western Pennsylvania. Their most recent effort is the L.E.A.D.S. (Leveraging Education to Accelerate Diversity and Success) initiative, a 2-year project funded through a $482,145 PASmart grant provided by the PA Department of Education.

Public Studio and Flywheel Strategies created an Impact Report detailing L.E.A.D.S.’ key activities. The finished product showcases ABC CREATE’s “secret sauce” as an amplifier for technological fluency-building in Western Pennsylvania.

It’s that “secret sauce” that outlines the challenge of illustrating ABC CREATE’s impact. Secret sauce is secret by design. How do you showcase the impact of an organization when the outcomes take place among one’s clients – or even one’s clients’ clients? Me and Heather Mallak (my colleague at Public Studio) had to capture the way in which ABC CREATE influenced technology and STEAM fluencies among its member schools, and do so in a way that would resonate with funders and stakeholders. Through conversations with ABC CREATE coordinator Melinda Spampinato, outreach to educators who took part in ABC CREATE activities, and sifting through mountains of data, we put together the following document, outlining how the L.E.A.D.S. initiative has set up schools in the ABC CREATE service area for ongoing success.

Now that the report is live, here are a few things I’d want to keep in mind for any future reports. Consider it a Message to My Future Self.

1. Showcase vectors, not points.
   While impact reporting does require you to capture a snapshot in time, the work of community-focused organizations is a perpetual evolution. Impact reporting provides an opportunity to show how the organization in question has set its constituents off on a different path.
   
   Many of ABC CREATE’s member schools are in remote parts of southwestern PA, and have few “neighbors” to rely on for camarederie and support. ABC CREATE’s model of elevating local achievements and co-designing train-the-trainer tools empowered educators at many of these institutions to build their own internal communities of practice. In doing so, the teachers created opportunities for cross-pollination between subjects.
   
2. Take a dip in the ocean before you start a deeper dive.
   We asked for everything at first: surveys, artifacts, spreadsheets – all of it. The resulting pile of material was overwhelming – a sea of noise in search of signals. For me, the only out of this situation was to barrel through it¹ Immersing myself in all of this material allowed me to feel for patterns, and absorb larger trends. Once we figured out that vibe, the corresponding data – those precious needles in the haystack – became much easier to find.
   
   In this case, it was a upward trend² of growing confidence. Participating teachers went from muddling through basic instruction to desigining their own modules as part of ABC CREATE’s training library. As sessions, surveys tracking educator skills began to show increasingly higher confidence ratings – not just with STEAM tools, but for teaching them to others. This is the kind of vibe shift we were hoping for, and the perfect illustration of how ABC CREATE’s secret sauce makes an impact.
   
3. Find the dramatic tension.
   Reporting on impact is all about creating a narrative. How do we guide readers through the story of what ABC CREATE accomplished, and how did the organization leave its member schools in a better place?
   
   We found our key metaphor in talking about micro:bits, tiny open-source hardware tools designed to help build coding fluencies. Like many educational coding tools, they seem impenetrable at first: simultaneously using the prerequisite of coding knowledge to keep the gate closed to new users, and being so open-ended³ as to make it a challenge to know where to start. But in making individual devices with specific use cases, Micro:bits provide a hook that can help learners get through the initial “suck factor” that comes with acquiring any new skill. Building in Python might be tricky, but making a name badge display your name? That’s a little easier to grasp. Once you make those connections – as students and teachers taking micro:bit workshops quickly discovered – it’s off to the races. Tinkering gives way to praxis.
   
   
   This in turn became the hook for the report: learning tech fluencies is extremely intimidating. But steady exposure and gentle encouragement helps them take root. As participants realize what they’ve learned, they gained greater confidence – to the point where they want to share their new competencies with their own colleagues. ABC CREATE’s story became about leading Pennsylvania educators through the wilderness, eventually creating enthusiastic advocates for STEAM skills.
   
4. Summarize again and again.
   When I’m explaining something, I never want to repeat myself. This way lies madness. Beyond the old marketing saw that someone needs to hear a message at least seven times to sink in, the pressure to create new ideas can spread yourself thin real quick.
   It’s important to keep in mind that the average reader isn’t nearly as immersed in the material as you have. What might seem like a retread to you is likely completely new to them. Developing technology fluencies is a self-replicating process. In true HoMaGo fashion, we sought to articulate the same sense of discovery that comes with learning something new and wanting to share it with the world. Showing how this process popped up again and again – with students, with educators, with ABC CREATE trainers, and ourselves – because a way to illustrate how the L.E.A.D.S. initiative helped teachers in the region flourish.
   

Are you looking to define your own impact? Drop me a line – I’d love to dive in and help out.

The first Flywheel Strategies Newsletter is now live! I’m hoping to provide more regular updates on the business, and highlight ways community-focused organizations are building momentum in meaningful ways.

For this installment, we’re highlighting upcoming programs, thinking about how we might advocate for IMLS, and giving just props to folks working for equitable library eBook pricing.

Click through for the newsletter, and don’t forget to smash that subscribe button.
(That’s what I’m supposed to say there, right?)

It’s been a week and a half since the upheaval at IMLS, and while folks are still reeling from all the changes, people have been galvanized into action¹. Social media feeds are revealing steady streams of posts. Grassroots campaigns are starting to take shape. More and more folks are starting to speak up. It’s on us to keep that energy going, and make sure the urgency of federal library funding isn’t lost on lawmakers and the public.

I’m grateful to everyone who has shared their content with me. It’s inspiring to see the broad coalition of voices – ranging from libraries and their related organizations to authors to affected patrons. Building a collective voice is an essential step, and it’s a comfort to see and be seen.

The next phase is to figure out how to direct all this effort. Who will be affected most by this? Who can become champions for library funding, both in and out of office? Amplifying these voices is essential, but it’s going to take some planning.

Here’s what I’m hoping to put together next:

1. Organize existing artifacts. Surprise! Of course that’s the first step. We are library people. We collate.
   Shoutout to the folks at the Kentucky Department of Libraries and Archives, for keeping me apprised of their effort to gather the myriad letters to media and electeds across the country. I’d like to pull these repositories together into one easy-to-browse interface.
2. Spot Trends. As we start to pull all this material into a critical mass, it’ll be useful to look for patterns. What works? What doesn’t garner a response? How do you effectively present the data in a way that’s meaningful? As things get more organized, I’m hoping to do some closer reads so we can build on our initial successes.
3. Map All Impacts – Positive and Negative. While we take stock of our gains, we also need to illustrate just what is being lost with the elimination of IMLS funding² Some libraries are already going public with notices about suspended services due to the loss of grant funding.
   There are a lot of ways to present this data – I’m tinkering around at the moment and hope to have something shareable shortly.

What other measures do you see? How can we maintain – or even build – momentum?

If the ousting of Institute of Museum and Library Services staff wasn’t enough, a subsequent Executive Order has now terminated all forthcoming grants made to state libraries. The cancellation of these funds (which were approved by Congress last year) creates a massive shortfall for libraries and their users across the country.

I always talk about local impact – how you need to find a way to make an issue speak to a person’s immediate needs. What we have here is a horrible case study in this phenomenon.

I wanted to see how this funding cut is going to impact my current home state of Pennsylvania¹. Taking a page from Colorado’s report, I spent a little time digging into the most recent dataset tracking IMLS funding for PA. That year is 2023, and it’s viewable (for now, at least) at the IMLS website².

Using this data alone – excluding other federal grants – you can see the clear impact of what this funding brings to the table, and how the Office of Commonwealth Libraries uses the money to create enormous economies of scale. I turned the fact sheet into the following infographic:

In making this (also available as a PDF), I’m hoping to have a clear breakdown of what will be lost without this funding. Even with the existing fund matches coming from state and local sources, it’s going to be close to impossible to replicate the group purchasing power that comes with the State Library. Having something that can illustrate the issue in simple terms can start a conversation – which hopefully can lead to further grassroots action.

The 2025 IMLS grant to PA would have contributed $5.9 million to statewide library services. Clawing back what was contractually obligated to the state is going to a massive effort – not just in Pennsylvania, but across the country.

Update 4/9/2025: We’re starting to see other states assemble other sheets, or make use of documents assembled for the recent Library Legislative Day in DC. With Take Action For Libraries Day occurring tomorrow, I’m going to gather the resources I’ve found on this page. You can see a variety of approaches – infographics, op-ed pieces, talking points, and more.

Comment or message me if you have others you’d like to see on the list. I’ll take whatever you have, but I’m particularly interested in materials that spell out what states recieve from IMLS and how that money is distributed.

As always, look to ALA and EveryLibrary for additional news and advocacy guidance.

• Alaska (op-ed from AK Library Associaiton president Rachel Nash and Museums Alasks president Dixie Clough; archived from Anchorage Daily News)
• California (a tip of the hat to Becky Yoose)
• Colorado (Library Research Service)
• Connecticut (CT State Library – Division of Library Development)
• Delaware (DE Library Association)
• Hawai’i (HI State Library via Friends of the Library of Hawai’i)
• Illinois (IL Library Association)
• Indiana (IN Library Federation)
• Iowa (IA Library Association)
• Kansas (KS State Library, see also statements from Kansas City and Johnson County libraries)
• Massachusetts (MA Board of Library Comissioners)
• Maine (ME Library Association)
• Michigan (MI Library Association)
• Minnesota (MN Library Association)
• Montana (MT Library Association)
• Nevada (NV Library Association)
• New Jersey (NJ Library Association)
• New Mexico (NM Library Association)
• New York (NY Library Association)
• Oregon (State Library of Oregon)
• Rhode Island (RI Library Association)
• South Dakota (SD Library Association)
• Tennessee (TN Nonprofit Network)
• Texas (TX Library Association)
• Utah (UT Library Association)
• Vermont (VT Library Association)
• Virginia (Library of VA)
• Washington (via Seattle and King County libraries)
• West Virginia (Brooke County Public Libraries)

As libraries, their workers, and their advocates begin springing into action in response to the planned hollowing out of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, it’s inspiring to see some of the steps people are taking to stand up for libraries¹.

I’m particularly inspired by two actions. First, there’s the over 3400 constituents in New Hampshire who flooded the legislature with calls and emails to strike down HB324. This bill would have eliminated the NH State Library, but legislators backtracked after seeing a sudden outpuring from the community. This isn’t the end of the fight for library advocates in NH – the rewritten bill still calls for extreme budget cuts for the State Library’s parent office – but it’s a pure demonstration of how many voices working together can make a difference.

The second example I wanted to share came from the Colorado State Library, who created a one-pager illustrating where its IMLS funding goes – and just how much that money does for Colorado residents. With clear language and plenty of detail, this info sheet provides talking points for anyone seeking to advocate on behalf of the State Library and IMLS. I’d love to see these pop up in other states, alongside further drilldowns to illustrate the value this funding brings to the community.

If you are looking to assemble similar data or build an advocacy strategy, I can help.

My biggest goal with Flywheel Strategies is building support networks for libraries and other community-focused organizations. By making these networks more visible, vocal, and active, it’s easier to call upon them when you need advocates. 

While Flywheel’s work is just getting started, the need for advocates is upon us right now. Two hugely important initiatives are currently at risk. 

First, there’s the BEAD (Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment) program, which provides funding to states to build out high-speed broadband infrastructure. If you’re in an urban area, you may not realize how many “broadband deserts” still exist in the country. This program, which was put into effect through the Broadband Infrastructure Act, is helping to close these connectivity gaps by requiring states to build local coalitions – effectively using the power of the purse to get stakeholders to collaborate to develop optimal solutions. 

Recent statements from the Commerce Department indicate that this funding is under attack – either to scrap the funding altogether, or to push for a shift to satellite Internet. Not only is this a more expensive solution¹, but it ignores much of the work state coalitions have already done to define their needs and build a shared action plan. 

The second big threat comes with the Executive Order issued on March 14th, calling for the elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. IMLS is a small-but-mighty federal office, but their impact affects any place in the country with a public library. In addition to providing direct funding for libraries and related organizations, they lead the charge for grant-making activities, helping to define the bleeding edges of library service. I’ve had close ties with IMLS – as a grantseeker, as an evaluator of incoming requests, and as a project advisor. And I’ve been lucky to call several IMLS workers friends. The work they do – on a budget that’s less than a rounding error to the federal budget – provides exponential impact throughout the profession and all the people they serve. 

What can you do? Advocacy requires a groundswell of public outcry. Here are a few steps to get started: 

How you can help: 

1. Learn more.
   As a librarian, of course I’m going to ask you to read, right? There’s a lot of information out there about both BEAD and IMLS. I’d suggest starting with the resources at ALA on the library side, and my local Keystone Internet Coalition ² for information on BEAD.
2. Contact your Electeds.
   This is a space where it’s just as essential to speak to folks at the state level as it is the national one. With both IMLS and BEAD funding, it’s a case of state coalitions providing a focus for the federal funding stream – exactly the kind of division of labor you’d want. Advocacy group EveryLibrary has some tools to make your voice heard. 
3. Use Your Library.
   Library workers are stressed, y’all. Now more than ever, they need people walking through their doors, checking out materials, and telling the workers behind the desk that they matter. Any measure of support can go a long way³ toward building morale. In some cases, you might even hear more about additional actions, and which specific electeds you should hit up for support.

The heart of the Flywheel theory of change is the idea that libraries are force multipliers for community good. They are able to focus a neighborhood’s intention to make big things happen, and do so in a way that reflects community needs at low cost. But they need vocal, active support to keep doing what they’re doing. Can you step up? 

If you’re doing anything to speak up on BEAD or library funding, I want to hear about it! Please share your efforts (and their responses, if any) at hi@flywheelstrategies.io.

I had the privilege to attend the press conference announcing the launch of the National Telecommunications and Administration’s Digital Equity competitive grant program yesterday. The program (part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act) provides just shy of a billion dollars for improving access to broadband – including bandwidth, devices, and digital skills training. (You may have heard these as the “three-legged stool” of digital equity.) This presents a huge opportunity to address digital divide needs for many, including those in rural areas/broadband deserts, seniors, veterans, and many others. 

To say this is an enormous opportunity for libraries and other community-focused institutions is an understatement. You know how collaboration often needs just one more thing to fully swing into action? This program can provide that one thing – and likely a few more. 

It’s important to remember that this program is designed to catalyze a wider spread of partnerships across the country. According to the recently-published PLA Public Library Technology Survey, only around one-fifth (19.5%) of public libraries are involved in a digital equity partnership at the local, state, or regional level. If there are no obvious answers as to where you can get involved, the Digital Equity Act funding can provide the runway for you to really think big about what a coalition might look like. This is your chance to think about creating an ecosystem of solutions, rather than a single venue for addressing access gaps. 

The full notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) is located at the NTIA website. 

Here are a few tips to get started: 

1. Do your research.
   There is a growing set of emerging practices for developing a digital equity coalition. ALA has created a clearinghouse for many of these resources, which includes guidelines from NTIA and the National Digital Inclusion Alliance. 
   
   It also may be useful to look at your state’s Digital Equity plan. A previous round of federal funding was designed to help each state (and many US territories) develop a long-range vision of digital equity needs and priorities for action. You can find a link to these on the NTIA website.
   
   As you read through these, make sure you understand what priorities have been outlined – both through your partners and the grant proposal, and how your organization might play a useful role in helping them move forward.
   
2. Build your coalition.
   Addressing digital equity requires more capacity than any one organization can provide. This is why it’s fundamentally important for proposals to include a variety of stakeholders with complimentary skills. Talk with your partners and discuss ways in which you might be able to support another. Look to your statewide or regional digital inclusion team for referrals or support. And think about how you might include members of the populations you hope to serve in the design process.  
   
3. Define your niche(s).
   Collaboration isn’t about getting everyone to work in lockstep. Instead, it’s a chance to orchestrate collective actions to ensure the greatest impact. This is an opportunity to have in-depth conversations with your partners about what each stakeholder is willing to bring to the table.
   
   Think about the following questions:
   Where do the strengths and weakness reside with each group? Are there practical requirements (such as a SAM.gov account) for which one partner might need to take responsibility? Where might one group play more of a leadership role, and others might provide support? Where are the places where stakeholders need to get out of one another’s way?
   

These are all things you might want to consider as you start to develop a funding proposal. Above all else, this is a chance to get creative – while the program has some very specific constraints, there is plenty of room for innovation within the digital equity framework.

The application window is open now through September 23rd, and NTIA is hosting a webinar this afternoon at 2PM Eastern time.
Don’t hesitate to reach out if I can help you think through a project.

Many thanks to Larra Clark for editorial and fact-checking assistance.