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.
BEAT YA FEET KINGS
Washington Highlands
July 2009
In the year of 2002 there was a time where almost every child in the District of Columbia where hip to a dance called "Beet Ya Feet". It was a dance that took over every street, gang memeber, and even hood. It was also around the time a popular DC genre known as Go-Go was blasting through every 12 year olds stereo set. Go-Go has been around since the inspirational Chuck Brown. Then he encouraged older Go-Go bands such as Rare Essense, and Backyard Band to play and host Go-Go's around the city of DC. Although Go-Go only enhanced and got better, "Beat Ya Feet" only got older, and died out like a typical fashion statement. Just when we thought "Beat Ya Feet " had been lost a group of guys gathered together to bring back what DC had once buried. The Beat Ya Feet Kings traveled through out not only DC , but other parts of the states to help people realize that if you have a confortation or a problem with someone dont resolve it in fights or in shoot outs, but in battle. They teach you how to express youself through dance. You can use your moves and foot work to speak your words, and avoid the violence. When they made their appearance in Washington Highlands they opened the hearts, eyes, and since of humor not only to our new youth of today, but every generation that dwelt upon the Library.
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