FYI Can you imagine a library where elementary school children learn how to use geo-location tools to make street maps from stories in their favorite books? Where teens in an after-school program create the coding for a website about local history? Or where a preschool playgroup learns the building blocks of problem solving by partnering with community recycling programs to tackle a sustainability project? The University of Maryland College of Information Studies is making this vision of advanced library programming possible through the online Graduate Certificate of Professional Studies in Youth Experience (YX). This certificate program is made possible by generous funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services<https://www.imls.gov/>. Library and information science professionals participating in this one-year program receive training to: · Facilitate youth learning with technology in both formal and informal environments · Leverage simple to advanced technology to meet the community’s needs · Engage youth in co-designing, executing, and evaluating programming in and via libraries · Develop community resources and partnerships to advance youth learning opportunities · Implement best practices to be inclusive of all youth’s needs, in particular youth from disadvantaged populations We are proud to announce that the first cohort<http://yx.umd.edu/2017-2018-cohort/> of YX librarians will begin May 2017. These 14 future library and information leaders will be equipped to become advocates of youth development and innovators of library and youth programming. Visit us online<http://yx.umd.edu/> to follow the adventures of the first cohort, learn more, or apply for next year’s program. Mega Subramaniam, Ph.D. Associate Professor Associate Director of Information Policy and Access Center (iPAC) College of Information Studies University of Maryland (301) 405 3406<tel:%28301%29%20405%203406> mmsubram@umd.edu<mailto:mmsubram@umd.edu> http://www.terpconnect.umd.edu/~mmsubram/ Co-Editor, School Library Research YALSA 2016-2019 Board Member Twitter: @mmsubram