After-School Specials: Connections and Confidence
At CALS, teens can find a safe and positive after-school environment. Our teen programmers create after-school activities that nurture teens, teach them important life skills, and let them relax after the school day. Latina Sheard, manager of the Williams Library, is enthusiastic about afterschool plans for this fall. “One of our new programs will be a Tea Time, which will be a talk session with refreshments. Teens will be able to catch up on what’s going on in their lives, and they can talk about current events,” said Latina. “With all the happenings around us, teens often keep a lot inside. We want to empower their voices, and we want them to know that how they feel is valued.” Rave’en Taylor, teen programmer at Williams, described one of her favorite recent activities with the teens, the Musical Escape Room. “I think that activity showed teens that with a little effort and determination, they can accomplish anything. They were all really proud that they completed the challenge, and it taught the importance of teamwork.” Level 4, the teen program at the Main Library, also conducts after-school activities every weekday. Programmer Jessie Clark recently ran her first of a series of zodiac-themed craft activities. “The zodiac gives teens a jumpingoff point to relate to each other,” Jessie said. “They get excited about who is which sign, and whether different signs are supposed to get along, which starts a conversation.” After-school programs offered at CALS branches this fall include life skills, technology classes, cooking, and gardening as well as trivia contests, book and podcast clubs, and games. See the full schedule at www.cals.org.