2007 Printable Manual - Texas State Library and Archives ...

2007 Texas Reading Club Manual
Young Adult Programs Chapter
By Sara Bracht, WyLaina Hildreth, and Christine McNew
Target Age Group
Sail Away With Your Imagination!
This chapter features eight programs on topics related to exploration, art, literature,
astronomy, history, and marine life, based on the theme, “Sail Away With Your
Imagination!” The programs are for preteens and teens in sixth through twelfth grades
with varying levels of maturity.
Developmental Needs of Teens and Positive Developmental Assets
The programs in this chapter, and the relationships librarians establish with teens in their
communities, fulfill the seven developmental needs of teens for physical activity, creative
expression, and self-definition, clear structure and limits, positive social interaction with
peers and adults, meaningful participation, and opportunities to learn and achieve. They
also support the development of positive assets that help young adults become healthy,
caring, and responsible. For more information about positive developmental assets for
young adults, visit the Search-Institute web site at www.searchinstitute.org/assets/forty.html.
A Safe and Engaging Space for Teens
Community leaders recognize the importance of programs for young adults. The high
priority of library programs for teens is made very clear in the report, Long Overdue: A
Fresh Look at Public and Leadership Attitudes About Libraries in the 21st Century,
a vailable online at www.lff.org/long_overdue061306.html. The report identifies four
specific challenges that libraries can help communities meet, allowing them to fill a vital
community need while simultaneously positioning themselves as funding priorities for
elected officials:
• Providing a safe and engaging space for teens;
• Supporting adult literacy and other components of workforce development;
• Expanding access to the Internet and other uses of technology;
• Becoming a community hub, making government forms and services easily
available.
This chapter features engaging programs and activities for teens that may be hosted in the
safe environment of libraries during the summer months.
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