Transforming Teen Services
This grant is supported by funding provided by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services administered by the Library Services and Technology Act, through the Washington State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State.
What is Transforming Teen Services: A Train the Trainer Approach (T3)?
Transforming Teen Services is a 12-week curriculum consisting of both synchronous and asynchronous work. Each week, there will be independent, self-guided work in the form of readings, videos, interactive online facilitation tools, journal entries, discussion forum postings, and more. Weekly throughout the course, we will meet virtually and synchronously as a cohort to process concepts, ask questions, get ideas from each other, and participate in activities. Because of the interactive nature of this curriculum, we ask that you commit to completing the asynchronous work on schedule, and attend as many of the in-person meetings as possible. Cohort 2 will run from September-November 2021, and applications are due August 12, 2021.
The Washington State Library is part of this national effort to bring together state library agency (SLA) consultants and front-line library staff from 46 states, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the District of Columbia, for a robust training program. The training focuses on youth development, facilitation, educational equity, Connected Learning (CL), and Computational Thinking (CT), and is designed to be a in-depth and interactive intro to Teen Services in libraries and out of school environments. This project is supported by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
Why T3?
While some schools of library and information science are looking at how to re-imagine their curricula for pre-service library staff, it is also essential that at the same time there is a united effort to develop strategic directions for cultivating the skills of those already working in the field. This latest project builds on the earlier work YALSA and COSLA did via their National Forum on Transforming Teen Services through Continuing Education.
How does this help staff to better support teens?
Staff that participate in this project build skills in facilitating learning specifically in areas related to Connected Learning and Computational Thinking, and gain an understanding of topics related to equity in teen services. Through this training, local library and out of school time staff will gain skills in articulating the value of the work that they do with and for teens, be more intentional with planning, and be able to better understand the needs of teens in their local communities.
If you have more questions, please contact:
Sara White
Youth Services Consultant
Washington State Library
sara.white@sos.wa.gov
360-570-5585
