SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About TLT
  • Reviews
    • Book Reviews
    • A to Z Book Lists
    • Book Review Policy
  • Teen Issues
  • Middle Grade Mondays
  • Programs
    • TPiB
    • Tech Talk
  • Professional
    • Teen Services 101
    • Things We Didn’t Learn in Library School
  • MakerSpace
  • Projects
    • #SVYALit
    • #FSYALit
    • #MHYALit
    • #Poverty in YA Lit

September 2, 2019 by Robin Willis

Your Library and Beyond: Building Positive Relationships with Creative Teens in The Community a guest post by author Rayne Lacko

September 2, 2019 by Robin Willis   Leave a Comment

As you’ll recall from PART I: Establishing A Teen Creative Writing Workshop, I’ve outlined a proven method to establish a committed circle of enthusiastic regulars, including “The Secret Workshop Ingredient That Changes Lives.” Teens need a safe place to discover, cultivate, and share their emerging voices. Creating a Teen Writers Workshop at your library allows young people the opportunity to grow both as writers and readers. 

Over the past four years of our monthly after-school Teen Writers Workshop, my teaching partner, author Margaret Nevinski, and I have joined forces with various local non-profit organizations, and expanded to include a week-long intensive summer camp. We’ve also established Teen Story Slam, a fundraising spoken-word event, and received tremendous support from local teachers, parents, and teen-friendly businesses. 

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

We attract a small but dedicated group of poets, writers and graphic novelists to our after-school workshop. But like most creatives, these teens are curious about applying their love of words to a variety of art forms. When we hosted the first Teen Story Slam (inspired by the transformational power of our workshop’s Secret Ingredient) we discovered an untapped niche of teen creatives—students who wouldn’t necessarily attend a writers’ workshop, but who share a love of the written word. We brainstormed ways to reach this wider audience and found success with the following:

Teen Creative Writing Summer Camp Many teens consider the concept of summer camp to be a bit “cringey” but we’ve managed to fill to capacity every year because the built-in rewards are both tangible and valuable. The non-tangible rewards begin by respecting their time — and sleeping habits. Our camp runs from Monday to Thursday, from 2pm to 4pm. Asking for a few hours a day over less than week is a much more attractive commitment level, but we certainly get stuff done! We offer one-to-one editorial consultations and pose challenging activities based on a theme, such as drama, literary devices or emotions, and we visit our local museum for a lesson on ekphrastic writing. The tangible reward includes a publishing credit. During our 8-hour camp, we produce a literary magazine comprised of two pieces per writer, and we vote on the mag’s title. There’s always an artist in the group who creates the cover. A copy of the mag is sent to each camper, and made available in the library for borrow. Every contributed piece must go through the formal editing process, and we celebrate our finished prose with a cupcake party and reading for parents and families at the close of our final meeting. 

Looking to make positive, mutually-satisfying partnerships with non-profit organizations in your community? Consider partnering with your:

Local non-profit art museum. We’re grateful to the education director at our local museum. An award-winning artist, Kristin Tollefson leads our participants through an in-depth, thought-provoking lesson on how to look at art. Afterward, we send our writers through the museum asking them to simply make notes on any piece that catches the eye. Then, we give them a quick lesson on ekphrastic writing and the many ways to approach writing about a visual experience. Without fail, this experience produces the most profound pieces our students write all year. It’s ground-breaking for many young writers, and an opportunity to appreciate what they perceive in a new way. **Handout??

Local non-profit theater school. Last year at summer camp, we dedicated two days of camp time to writing scripts for up to four players. Utilizing basic script-formatting cues, we focused on character, conflict, and climax. There was no limit to topic or genre; some wrote harrowing scenes about drinking and driving, others wrote comical exchanges between animals, and one paid homage to the BBC. We invited students from our local theater’s teen acting camp to come and cold-read the plays. The creative peers at acting camp gave themselves entirely to their craft by collapsing in death scenes, cross-dressing, and pulling off foreign accents. Our writers were beyond delighted seeing their work interpreted on our makeshift library stage. Tears of joy flowed, and both camps reported feeling accomplished, appreciated, and bonded as artistic peers.

Bonus: Many budding actors are also interested in writing. Solidify your newfound theater relationship by hosting a playwriting or screenwriting workshop! 

Want to raise awareness about your teen-specific library programs? Bring your creatives to the community!

Teen Story Slam 

Teen Story Slam is a spoken word event for writers in grades 7-12, and a wonderful way to build  positive relationships with students, teachers, and parents. A biannual event, we alternate venues between a local pizza place and a frozen yogurt joint. Both donate 50% of the evening’s proceeds to the library for teen writing programs. At the first Teen Story Slam, we expected a small circle of intrepid writers to show up. Imagine our surprise when teens from far and wide jammed the pizza place, filling it to standing room only! Our event caught the attention of local teachers who offered their students extra credit for reading. Some even challenged their students with special writing prompts. We were surprised how many asked to sing original songs they’d written; it has since become tradition to include short plays and songs at the Slam.

We offer a prize to every reader (a $5 gift card to the venue), and welcome all genres and levels. 

Bonus: Many teen writers also love to sing. Cast a wider net to your teen writing community by hosting a songwriting workshop.

Establishing a Teen Writing Workshop is an excellent foundation for building lasting relationships in your community, and fostering partnerships with local non-profit organizations. Creativity in writing inspires creativity in myriad other forms. To reach a wider audience and bring new young people to your library, consider growing new branches from your strongest programs. 

Rayne Lacko believes music, language, and art connect us, and she explores those themes in her novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD (SparkPress, August 2019), and DREAM UP NOW (Free Spirit Publishing 2020)

Filed under: Uncategorized

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments

About Robin Willis

After working in middle school libraries for over 20 years, Robin Willis now works in a public library system in Maryland.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

December 2022

Book Mail: Romances, thrillers, mysteries, dystopias, and more!

by Robin Willis

December 2022

The Difference Between YA and NA, a former teen now new adult reader perspective

by Robin Willis

December 2022

Post-It Note Reviews: Quick looks at 9 new titles

by Robin Willis

October 2022

Reclaiming Queer History, a guest post by James Brandon

by Robin Willis

October 2022

I Wrote a Book About the Pandemic. I'm Scared No One Will Want to Read It, a guest post by Sara Saedi

by Robin Willis

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

Your 2023 Caldecott Comment Card

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Fuse 8 n’ Kate: Will Spring Be Early? Or Will Spring Be Late? by Crockett Johnson

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Monkey Prince Vol. 1: Enter the Monkey | Review

by J. Caleb Mozzocco

Heavy Medal

Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Readers’ Poll Results

by Steven Engelfried

Teen Librarian Toolbox

Philosophy and/as/of Literature, a guest post by Amy Zhang

by Amanda MacGregor

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

A Book 25 Years in the Making: Marla Frazee Visits The Yarn

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

Not Just for the Pre-K Crowd: Picture Books To Share with Tweens and Teens

Three Resonant Historical Fiction Books for Young Readers

16 Sci-Fi & Fantasy Middle Grade Books for Exciting Summer Escapes | Summer Reading 2020

Nicole Melleby on Depression and Hope | Middle Grade and Mental Health

13 Middle Grade Thrills and Chills for Tween Horror Buffs | Summer Reading 2020

Commenting for all posts is disabled after 30 days.

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

Follow This Blog

Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

Primary Sidebar

  • News & Features
  • Reviews+
  • Technology
  • School Libraries
  • Public Libraries
  • Age Level
  • Ideas
  • Blogs
  • Classroom
  • Diversity
  • People
  • Job Zone

Reviews+

  • Book Lists
  • Best Books
  • Media
  • Reference
  • Series Made Simple
  • Tech
  • Review for SLJ
  • Review Submissions

SLJ Blog Network

  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal
  • Neverending Search
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn

Resources

  • 2022 Youth Media Awards
  • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
  • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
  • Summer Reading 2021
  • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
  • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
  • Summer Programming Survey
  • Research
  • White Papers / Case Studies
  • School Librarian of the Year
  • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
  • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

Events & PD

  • In-Person Events
  • Online Courses
  • Virtual Events
  • Webcasts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Media Inquiries
  • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Content Submissions
  • Data Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Terms of Sale
  • FAQs
  • Diversity Policy
  • Careers at MSI


COPYRIGHT © 2023


COPYRIGHT © 2023