Children and Youth Services Cathy Lancaster, Youth Services Coordinator Library of Michigan

What is Youth Services? Access to Information for birth through teenage years Children’s Literature “assumes a teachable reader.” ~ Johnathan Auxier, author Programming: highlighting your collection & consider what families might not get elsewhere. Technology A “Safe” Place to Be

Early Literacy

Early Literacy Programs and Outreach Babies: minute programs such as “Bookie Babies” or “Mother Goose on the Loose” offer early literacy tips, a short story, nursery rhymes/song and activities for infant-24 months. Toddlers: minutes programs such as “Hear & Say” provide 2-3 slightly longer stories, rhymes, movement activity and occasional craft for 2 & 3 Year Olds. Preschoolers: 45 minute programs with 3-4 longer stories, rhymes and more for 4-5 Year Olds.

School-aged Programming Afterschool Programming o STEM, STEAM, STREAM o Minecraft Club o Lego Club o Tutoring, Tell-A-Tail, Reading Buddies o Summer Reading Weekend Programming o Storytimes for families o Themed celebrations

Tweens & Teens Programming Tweens (8-12) Loosely-structured weekly programs Kids Yoga Arts & Crafts Technology Special Themes SNACKS! Teens (13-19) Teen Advisory Committees Workshops Gaming Guys Read Balls/Cosplay/Lock-Ins SNACKS!

School Outreach Make personal connections with school media specialists, teachers and principals. Book Boxes Institutional Cards Friends of Library cover bussing for visits/card sign-up. Collaborate on a Book Bowl and other reading-engagement programs Summer Reading promotional visits; School or classroom challenges

Together you all win! Collaboration & Outreach

Collaborating with Your Community Why? Fresh programming Literacy & Education Connections Increasing your participation Branding In-Kind contributions Encourages the exploration of new genres Community leaders model reading Common Core and Early Literacy Connections Family Time Building a “Village” How? Just ask! o Start within your own network o What will you offer them in return? o Make sure you’ll have an audience Continue your relationship o Send a thank you and photos o Tag on Social Media o What ways can you continue collaborating during the school year? o Invite them back to Summer Reading Club next year!

What is Great Start? Great Start to Quality measures the quality of child care and preschool settings using more than 40 different program quality indicators within five categories that are aligned with Michigan’s Early Childhood Standards of Quality for Infant and Toddler Programs and Early Childhood Standards of Quality for Prekindergarten. Great Start to Quality is designed to recognize the quality of a program or provider and help them continually improve with the support of a network of Great Start to Quality Resource Centers throughout Michigan. The goal is to make sure every young child in Michigan has a high-quality early learning experience – and to help parents and families make informed choices when searching for care. Fifty-four Great Start Collaboratives serve as the local infrastructure for the Great Start system. Their members are the state’s knowledge leaders and change agents for young children and their families. Over seventy Great Start Parent Coalitions serve as the passionate local volunteers who provide education to community and state leaders about the importance of investing in young children.

MHSA is the unified voice providing advocacy and leadership linking the Head Start community of parents, programs, and partners. The Michigan Head Start Association is a private, nonprofit corporation organized in 1967 and incorporated in 1988 as the only state organization dedicated exclusively to the concerns of Head Start. The association provides services and support to the Michigan Head Start community, representing more than 34,000 children and their families, 41 Early Head Start, 47 Head Start and two Migrant and Seasonal Head Start grantees statewide.

Thank you, now on to Sharing & Questions! “At the moment that we persuade a child to cross that magic threshold into a library, we change their lives forever, for the better. It’s an enormous force for good.” ~ President Barack Obama