Hands-on, creative activities are not just powerful learning experiences. Building, performing, writing, and other creative outlets empower teens to express themselves and give teens something tangible they can take away from the experience. Remixing and curating content is also a form of production that many teens are embracing.
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Watch this video about Johnson County Library’s Elementia magazine, full of teen-created art, stories, poems, and songs. Then flip through a few issues. Are there activities that teens do in your library that could be displayed publicly (in a magazine like this, on YouTube, in display cases, etc.)?
- Teens have access to digital and physical tools to help them build, create, and perform
- Teens are encouraged to remix and curate content
- Teens’ creations are made visible outside of the library
- Teens are allowed to work on their own creative ideas, not just adhere to a single design
- Programs help teens learn skills they can use on their own later