Engaging Teens at Chicago Public Libraries

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Every day teenagers are confronted with complex challenges. Along with the obligations of school, they are also working to figure out where they belong in their social circle, their family, and their global community. The Chicago Public Library and the ALA Public Programs Office are helping local teenagers explore interest in art and current issues along the way with a series of programs titled, “Engage! Teens, Art, and Civic Engagement.” This volunteer program is dedicated to helping teens discover themselves through discussion of the visual arts. Select pieces of great American art provide a centerpiece for participants to talk about who they are and where they belong in their community.

Art as a centerpiece
After sitting through nine months of class, most teenagers don’t want their summer to be filled with schoolwork. Fortunately, Engage! is not a class. The artwork in question serves as a point of reference for participants to discuss what it is they want for their lives. Who do they want to be? Where do they stand on issues like gay rights and the role of the military?

Take, for example, the American flag. It has historically been seen as a symbol of liberty. But in the classic World War II icon Rosie the Riveter, another symbol of liberty is presented. The Engage! program encourages teenagers to look at these pieces of artwork and discuss the new way freedom is presented. How does this new representation affect how they see themselves as citizens of the free world?

In this way, though the teens will be viewing art, the main focus is on what they think. This program is all about their views.

Entering the community
The next step in the program is to get teenagers involved with the community. Project organizer Mary Davis Fournier wants participants to ask themselves, “How will I change my community?” After discussions with their peers and the program leaders, they will come to a conclusion and say, “Here’s how I can help!”

Each participating branch has a different project planned that will take teens as a group out of the library and into the community. Sulzer Regional Library, for example plans to pair a walking tour of Lincoln Square art exhibits with a community service project chosen by the teens themselves, and at Woodson Regional, participants created a mural to beautify their own public library. Teens at the Austin branch even collaborated with Root Riot, a Chicago-based organization dedicated to promoting gardens within the city limits, to create an urban totem pole made of recycled products that everyone in the neighborhood could see and enjoy. These are only a few of the exciting endeavors Engage! program participants have taken on so far, and there are more to come.

The end result
Though viewing images of any kind (whether artwork or advertisements) is often a passive process, the Engage! program is centered on action. The participating teens won’t just look at the art; they will discuss it with their peers. Then they will take their ideas into the community. At the end of the summer, teens will have a better idea of who they are and what their role is within civil society.

Participating teens will be eligible to earn CPS service learning credit. Engage! Teens, Art and Civic Participation is a pilot project of the Public Programs Office of the American Library Association, in cooperation with the Chicago Public Library. Project funding is provided by the Searle Funds of the Chicago Community Trust and from the Terra Foundation for American Art.

Resources
Pablo Picasso by Stuart Kallen
This book gives readers a look at both Picasso's genius and his eccentricities, with extensive information on his childhood and the effects his relationships had on his art.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Through the Gates and Beyond by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan
Christo and Jean-Claude are famous for The Gates, where they draped panels of saffron fabric along 23 miles of walkways in New York's Central Park. This book chronicles The Gates and the artists' other works.

Digital Photo Madness! 50 Weird & Wacky Things to Do with Your Digital Camera by Thom Gaines
Ready to create your own art? This guide covers the basics of digital photography, plus 50 advanced techniques to add special effects.