Gather ‘Round the Table with Teens: A Food Literacy Workshop

Food literacy is essential for teens to understand and learn about food in a positive way, including food skills and best food practices. Young adult library staff will benefit from this workshop designed to guide libraries to in turn support teens as they explore the impact of food on so many levels of their lives.

Food Education Consultant Rebecca Antill will provide in-person workshops on how to plan and deliver nutrition & cooking programs for teens, featuring how to do so with minimal kitchen access. As a former librarian, Rebecca will offer a tailored learning experience that will equip library staff to offer food programming of all levels at their libraries. Basic health and safety information, kitchen classroom management, culinary skills and community partners will all be discussed as participants cook and share time together. Bring your own apron as this cooking workshop is hands-on and very interactive!

Workshops will be offered in three locations across the state and registration is very limited:  

Monday, May 5, 2025
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM ET
Jackson District Library’s Meijer Branch
4699 Airport Road, Jackson, 49202
Registration & Details: https://libraryofmichigan.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/libraryofmichigan/event.jsp?event=7470&

 

Wednesday, May 7, 2025

10:00 AM – 5:00 PM ET
Traverse Area District Library’s Woodmere Library
610 Woodmere Ave., TC 49686

Registration & Details: https://libraryofmichigan.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/libraryofmichigan/event.jsp?event=7475&

 

Friday, May 9, 2025

*9:00 AM – 4:00 PM ET

Gloria Coles Flint Public Library
1026 E. Kearsley St., Flint, 48503

*Please note the earlier start time for this workshop, due to a special GCFPL event following the workshop at 4pm – details on this event TBA to registrants.

Registration & Details: https://libraryofmichigan.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/libraryofmichigan/event.jsp?event=7480&

These workshops are supported in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Summer Reading Resources

Color Our World™: Animal Prints and Patterns with the Detroit Zoo*
Wednesday, March 12, 2025

2:00 - 3:00 pm EST

Our friends at the Detroit Zoo are back to bring us engaging STEM programming using colorful animal patterns.

Spots, stripes, and more! Animal patterns are all around us, so this is a great opportunity to learn how to engage youth in your community with science activities created just for libraries by the Detroit Zoo.
*Last Chance to Register: https://libraryofmichigan.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/libraryofmichigan/event.jsp?event=7407

This webinar is provided by the Library of Michigan with support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

 

 

CSLP’s 2025 Summer Reading Champion is Newbery Medalist Katherine Applegate!

Librarians, sign up to receive promotional materials for the Katherine Applegate Color Our World Writing Contest! 

The first 200 libraries to sign up will receive a promotional easel and bookmarks to promote the Color Our World Writing Contest. All others will receive digital links to print their own materials.

Find out more about the contest online here: https://bit.ly/ColorOurWorldContest

Resources

Supporting Early Childhood STEAM Experiences through Play

June 9, 2025, 11:00 PM Pacific / 2:00 PM Eastern

Get ready to play! Join NGCP for this fun and interactive webinar to learn how to leverage an interdisciplinary STEAM approach to foster young children's curiosity through authentic play-based learning. For details and to register: https://ngcproject.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/ngcproject/event.jsp?event=792&

 

IMLS National Forum to Connect & Advance Library Makerspaces

You are cordially invited to join one of the Listening Sessions for the IMLS National Forum to Connect and Advance Library Makerspaces. These interactive, online (Zoom) sessions will provide an opportunity to help envision and shape the future of library makerspaces. During the one-hour sessions, participants will explore four key areas: our values, vision, priorities, and resources.

All sessions are identical, so feel free to join whichever one fits your schedule. If you are unable to attend, an asynchronous feedback option will be available. Please register here: go.illinois.edu/listeningsession. For more details, please refer to the attached flyers.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact the Project Director, Dr. Kyungwon Koh: kkoh@illinois.edu

 

WebJunction: Empowering Teens

You can help your teen patrons to become better navigators of the information that they find online. Learn about how you can offer fun and engaging experiences that bring teens to the library and build their information literacy skills. Researchers at the University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public walk you through programs developed with public libraries, including an escape room game and youth video program. You’ll also discover activities adapted from school libraries that help teens reflect on their interaction with social media and give them the tools to verify questionable posts. Access the Empowering teens: Enhancing information literacy through games and interactive programming recording and handouts: https://www.webjunction.org/events/webjunction/empowering-teens.html.  
This resource is provided by the Library of Michigan with support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

In the News…

Head Start and Public Libraries, Ideal Partners – SLJ, 1/21/25

Minnesota Pride Festival Cancels Picture Book Author Event Because of “Safety Concerns” – SLJ, 3/6/25

 

Thank you,

Cathy Lancaster

Youth Services Coordinator

Library of Michigan
702 W. Kalamazoo St.
Lansing, MI 48915
My Pronouns: She/Her/Hers - See www.mypronouns.org to learn more.

LancasterC5@michigan.gov | 517-335-8129 | www.mi.gov/libraryofmichigan
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Join the MiYouth Listserv, created for Michigan public library staff to share and discuss children and teen programming and services.

 

 

 

“The thing I remember best about successful people I’ve met all through the years is their obvious delight in what they’re doing … and it seems to have very little to do with worldly success. They just love what they’re doing, and they love it in front of others.” ~ Fred Rogers