Assorted Teen Programming:
Below are pictures from assorted programs I have held as a teen and YA librarian, ranging candy sushi to Snapshot day. Further down the page, you will find pictures and descriptions from program series.
Talk it Out Thursday:
Through partnerships with local organizations, such as the Piscataway Domestic Violence Crisis Intervention Team and the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Talk it Out Thursday connected teens with resources they need. This program was a collaborative effort thought of by the teen department when we realized our teens were coming into the library with issues we were not equipped to handle alone. We wanted to offer them a safe space to talk, and also the support to get help. Through discussions on self-esteem, anxiety, depression, abusive relationships, toxic friendships, and more, we showed our teens where they could find other trusted adults in the community. These monthly sessions are consistently well-attended.
Click the PDF icon for my article on Talk it Out, "Tackling Teen Issues with Partnerships," which was featured in the New Jersey Library Association's Summer 2018 Newsletter on Civic Engagement.
Tinker Camp:
In the summers of 2017 and 2018, I was the maker coach for Piscataway Public Library's Tinker Camp. Tinker Camp is a program for kids grades K-5 that teaches scientific concepts through STEM activities. The camp ran for five weeks, with grades K-2 meeting Monday and grades 3-5 meeting Tuesday. Topics covered include pneumatics, chemistry, energy, and electricity. In 2018, I piloted a program that paired these science-heavy topics with related picture books. This was done to reinforce concepts at the end of each lesson.
Kindness Rocks!
The Kindness Rocks initiative at PPL, part of the larger Kindness Rocks organization, began as a series of drop-in programs for the teens in the community. The teens decorated river rocks with messages of encouragement and kindness to make their community a brighter, happier place to live. These rocks were then placed in a container rock garden at our Kennedy branch. They can be admired by the community, taken for inspiration, or left for a contribution to the project. Although this initiative is new and we currently have just one rock garden, Piscataway hopes to create more around the community.
Library Maker's Toolkit 2017:
As a presenter at the 2017 Library Maker's Toolkit workshop, I demonstrated a series of programs called, "Crazy for Chemistry." Participants learned tips for running a STEM program, then we got messy! We made breathless balloons, bath bombs, and lava lamps.
