DC Public Library Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP)
DC Blog Poppin' is proudly a part of the DC Public Library's summer youth employment program. Of the many special projects the teens are able to choose from, blogging is one of them. During this year's summer program the SYEP teens working in the blogging special project will be putting this blog together. Teens will be preparing and updating the blog weekly before it goes live as a link connected to the DC public library's website to be mainted throughout the year by the library's teens of distinction. Stay tuned as the teens continue to manage the blog and update topics and issues that are relevant to teens in the District of Columbia.
SYEP @ DC Public Library
And you thought the library was boring!...The DC Public Library, Martin Luther King, Jr central branch, and its 23 other branches have become the poster child for the Summer Youth Employment Program in DC. Over the summer, hundreds of the district's teens ages 14-21 are given jobs to gain professional experience in a field of their choice and most importantly make money. The DC Public Library this summer has employed nearly 100 teens giving them experience with working at local libraries in the district, reading to children through the book buddies program, working on special projects and engaging in developmental workshops.
Although working at their neighborhood library is a major part of their job description, there are also special projects that meet once or twice a week in the morning. Of these special project groups there are: Video production, journalism and teen guides, which meet on Monday and Wednesday mornings. Then there are our special project, blogging, as well as marketing/outreach, event planning and audio production who meet Tuesday mornings. The teens with the help and guidance of their supervisors are collaborating to put together these special projects throughout the summer.
On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, the teens are at their recreation center reading to their book buddies. Our partnering rec centers are Hillcrest, Sherwood, Bald Eagle, Kennedy and Benning Stoddert. On other afternoons the teens are engaging in various development workshops dealing with issues such as professionalism, financial management, healthy relationships, domestic violence, creative writing/poetry and spoken word, and many others. Keep it locked to the blog as we keep you up to date on the progress of the library's SYEP projects.
I recently did a mini interview with an employee that works in the Children's Division at Martin Luther King library. I asked her questions about some programs they have and some activities that take place in her division. Kids have a wild imagination so they let them express their creativity by engaging them in crafts and plays. They also have contests. One contest that is taking place this summer is The Summer Reading Program that lets kids from ages 13 and under read three books this summer to receive a special gift. From what I was told, thousands of kids participate every summer. They also have camps, daycares, story time, and cool parties. The theme this summer is be creative.
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