Tag Archives: teens

DEV DEV: SUMMER OF CODE at the Chattanooga Public Library

Posted on May 31, 2013 | Leave a comment

Justin here: I am SO EXCITED for this Code Camp to happen at the Chattanooga Public Library this summer.  It’s gonna be amazing for the teens in our community.  SO MUCH LOVE to AIGA Chattanooga, The Benwood Foundation, Engage 3D, and The 4th Floor for coming together to make this happen.  I’ll be posting updates/photos/Vine videos here all summer long so keep checking back.

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Are you into technology? Video games? Robots? Making computers do awesome stuff?

If you’re between the ages of 12-18 and these are your things, join us for <dev dev/>: summer of code, Chattanooga’s first code camp for teens.

Over the course of four weeks, fifty teens will gather on The 4th  Floor of the Chattanooga Downtown Library to learn all about HTML, CSS, Python, and robotics. (Don’t worry, by August 2nd you’ll understand what all of those words and letters mean.)

So what can you do with all this?
 By the end of camp, you’ll be able to make your own website, teach a robot to dance, create your own computer game, and much more. You’re living in Chattanooga, home to crazy fast internet and some of the most exciting tech companies in the world - trust us, you’ll want these skills. Think about how awesome it will be to talk about your mad HTML skills and your ability to make a robot do your bidding when trying to land an internship or impress a college admissions rep.

Come to <dev dev/> and get a head start on the future.

Who: Ages 12-18
When: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Friday from July 8 to August 2
(AM Session 9am-12pm, PM Session 1PM-4PM)
Where: The 4th Floor, Chattanooga Downtown Library

Teens!  Go here to apply:  
http://devdev.chattlibrary.org/
Application Deadline: June 14 2013

 

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Posted in Libraries, Life In Chattanooga, Technology, Teens, TN

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Marvin Gaye and Libraries

Posted on May 29, 2013 | 2 Comments

Photo May 29, 6 31 53 PM

The more I work with teens, the more that I realize that I speak in teen.  I have a lot of trouble communicating with adults. For some reason, speaking to teens just comes naturally to me.  I think it has something to do with the fact that I still feel the excitement and energy of being a teen in my heart.  I’m extremely grateful for this talent: it’s given me the opportunity to have an awesome career, work with amazingly talented people, and to pay the bills and enjoy life.  

When it came to working something out to capture the attention of adults who came onto our newly minted Kids/Tweens/Teens 2nd Floor, I had to put on my thinking cap.  How could I capture their attention?  How could I get an adult who was visiting the library to see what’s going ON OH MY GOD I HAVE IT.

Marvin Gaye.  I hope it works.  If it doesn’t, at least our staff will be humming his amazing music in their heads over the next few weeks.

 

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Posted in Libraries, Life In Chattanooga, Teens, TN

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Strange Magic

Posted on May 22, 2013 | Leave a comment

There’s some kind of strange magic* in the air at the Chattanooga Public Library.  On floors one through four at the library I feel a buzz that I just can’t put my finger on.  Let me tell you, it is awesome to be around.

Most of my life at the Chattanooga Public Library happens on the 2nd Floor.  Right now half of our space is full of empty shelves waiting to be taken away.  The other half is our makeshift tween/teen library.  It hasn’t reached its full potential yet but like I said above, there’s some kind of strange magic in the air.  It will happen in due time.  Everyone is excited for it to happen.

photoRPG

I’ve always felt a strong connection to the teens I’ve worked with in every library I’ve been part of, but these days I feel like I’m reconnecting with something from my past.  I stumbled upon this photo from my time at the Cape May County Library and in it saw a version of Justin that I hadn’t seen in awhile. I looked at the mirror a few days ago and you know what?  I saw that Justin coming back to the surface.  It’s all because of the teens….hanging out, geeking out, messing around…all happening in the library.  It’s not a quiet kind of magic…it’s loud, smelly, a bit scary, and a lot of fun.  It’s constant ideas immediately put into action.  There’s no time to sit around and think about the best way to go about working with these teens.  It’s all in the moment, being refined as we move along…and it is FUN.  The day in/day out here with these teens is a magical.  

Photo May 21, 2 49 27 PM

There’s a strange magic happening between the community and the library.  With every event happening on The 4th Floor (like this, this, or THIS!) comes even more community and library connection.  When the community steps into the building, the connection is made: this is the place where  lifelong learning and connection happens in Chattanooga.  Like the work we’re doing with 0-18 year olds on the 2nd Floor, it’s  loud, smelly, a bit scary, and a lot of fun.  It’s real.

I love it here.  I love the team here.  I love the community.  I love the strange magic going on.

*Yes, that’s supposed to be an Electric Light Orchestra reference

** Read this article, be inspired

*** This will be awesome very shortly

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Posted in Libraries, Life In Chattanooga, Technology, Teens, TN

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