Learning Inspires Children to Discover and Succeed
Kenosha needs a rebirth of learning. It also needs to create opportunity for all, harnessing the vast potential of our children. Our families, our economy, and our futures depend on that. That's why the KPL Kids at Uptown Library aims to build literacy and provide a safe and welcoming space filled with tools to help children imagine, learn, and thrive. Our community and its children have been battered by the pandemic, civil unrest, and economic pressures.
The KPL Kids at Uptown Library, located on a block destroyed by civil unrest in 2020, seems a fantastic place to flip that narrative and restore hope and opportunity for all. Learning is at the heart of that turnaround.
Using federal pandemic relief funding, the city has purchased space on the ground floor of the newly constructed Uptown Lofts as the library's new home.
The Kenosha Public Library Foundation is conducting a capital campaign to furnish the space, provide program support, and establish an endowment.
In addition to providing learning materials and interactive play, the new library will offer a range of children's services focusing on literacy, nutrition, character development, and more.
Your gift or pledge to support the new KPL Kids at Uptown Library is greatly appreciated, and the methods of giving are numerous. For more information about how to best direct your gift, contact Barbara Brattin, Library Director, at bbrattin@mykpl.info or 262-564-6324.
A Place to Learn and Thrive
A commitment to learning requires a launchpad. The library will be located on the ground floor of the newly built Uptown Lofts mixed-use project. It will occupy 7,632 square feet of the project, and plans call for it to open in spring of 2024.
The Uptown Children's Library will be neighbors with a grocery store, restaurant, and 70 affordable housing apartments. Now we must raise the funds to furnish the facility and provide rich, diverse programming and innovative services. For the past two years, sessions have been held to obtain community feedback on programming and work with partner organizations to make it a reality.
Thoughtfully designed spaces will combine learning and play to support children's natural curiosity and provide problem-solving and literacy skills. Interactive features will encourage them to get hands-on learning. The new library will be bright, accessible, safe, and welcoming place for children. It will offer a place to expand their imagination and build skills that will serve them well for the rest of their lives.
