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by Yoli and the Marmalade Teen Squad 
I’m Yoli and I am the teen librarian at the Marmalade branch. I won’t talk about myself too much except to say I have a really cool job because I get to work with really creative and thoughtful teens! Our Teen Squad’s projects are really amazing and fun, and I hope you will check them out. On behalf of the City Library and Marmalade Branch, thank you Laynee, Kayle, Christian, and Clover.  Hi! My name is Laynee and I am going to be a sophomore next year! I love reading and all things about books, and I also love the outdoors. For my project this year I decided to create a guide for teens that gives them an introduction into classic books and literature. This guide is in the form of a booklet and will be available within a classics book display at the Marmalade Branch!  Hi! My name is Kayle and I’m going to be a senior next year! I love math, reading, baking, and skateboarding! For my Teen Squad project, I chose to do an art and skateboard project. I have a space theme that I will recreate on my skateboard with spray paint. Hope you all enjoy!
Hi I'm Christian. I am a member of the Teen Squad summer 2021 for the Marmalade branch in Salt Lake City. My projects for this summer are Krypto and Set video tutorials. I will demonstrate how you can play on your own or in a group of 2 or more people. These games have been a favorite in our home and I hope that you can learn how to play them and make them a part of your favorite games as well. These games are also part of the Math Olympiad for Davis School District. Have fun!
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by Day-Riverside Teen Squad   Hi, my name is Emily, I am a junior at West High School. I am a teen volunteer at the Day- Riverside library branch. For my project this year I focused on the menstrual movement, a topic which I am very interested in. There is a stigma and taboo against menstruation causing people to not talk about Periods and the problems that menstruaters can face. Period poverty is just one thing that is a serious problem for menstruaters' health and overall women's equality. I had noticed that there was a lack of books on periods in our library's collection. I worked on creating a list of books that were all about the menstrual movement and about breaking the taboos surrounding periods, which were selected and purchased. My project was to create a bookmark with the list of books on it and with a short explanation of what is in the book. This project means a lot to me and I am very grateful to have the opportunity to do this. I hope that my project will help people talk more about and better understand periods and the menstrual movement.  My name is Anagha Rao, and I am a rising senior at Skyline High School. This is my second summer volunteering with Teen Squad, and I am part of the Day-Riverside Branch. My project is a 30-Day fitness challenge for teens to encourage them to stay healthy and stay physically fit. After I noticed that there was a lack of books related to exercise and teens, I created a bookmark with a list of books for teens to learn more about exercise and how to get enough physical activity. In the future, I aspire to work in the healthcare industry and share my passion for nutrition and wellness with others. In my free time, I love to write stories, read mystery books such as Agatha Christie, and play tennis with my friends.  Hello, my name is Rocio and I was a senior at West High school. I am a volunteer for Teen squad. My project was focused on providing financial services for students. As a lower income student, money has always been a concern for me. I was constantly looking for scholarships, volunteer opportunities and anything that would help me. It was difficult to find credible and beneficial sites, especially online. I want to provide the necessary information for any student who is in need of financial aid. I created a blog post with all the information in one place. Along with pamphlets with basic information. I hope that I can help anybody who wants to continue college. by Bea, Chapman Branch Teen Squad  Summer is the perfect time to lose yourself in a great book! We checked in with Beatrice, one of our Teen Squad members from the Chapman Branch, to see what books she is reading this summer:  Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian Stay Sweet is your classic summer book. Seventeen-year-old Amelia takes over as the “head girl” of Meade Ice Cream, a popular historic ice cream shop in Sand Lake. On Amelia’s first day, she finds her new boss, Molly, dead, and her boss’s grandson, Grady, has to come in to try and sell the place. Meade had existed since World War 2, always run by young local girls, and the shop was an important feature of Sand Lake, with it’s ice cream’s secret, special recipe. It’s up to Amelia to try and convince Grady to keep the store running, and also try to figure out the ice cream recipe that Molly, the former owner, has hidden somewhere in her cluttered house. Stay Sweet is a perfect summer read for lovers of ice cream and romance.  A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is well- crafted murder mystery about Pippa, a senior in high school, who decides to do her senior capstone project on a 5-year-old closed murder case that happened in her town. Supposedly, Andie Bell, a pretty and popular senior, was killed by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, before killing himself out of regret. That’s the story, and everyone in the town believes this is the truth. But Pippa believes that the town was so consumed with grief that everyone chose to think that it was Sal, based on messy evidence and prejudice about Sal’s race. Pip investigates the case with everything she’s got and finds romance and new friendships along the way. I would highly recommend this book to lovers of true crime and a little bit of suspense. by Rocio, Day-Riverside Teen Squad  College can be expensive. Many times students are told to apply for scholarships as a way to pay, but that is easier said than done. Applying for scholarships, especially those that cover four year tuition, required countless steps. It is not just getting good grades, but having volunteer hours, writing personal statements, getting recommendation letters among other things. This guide provides different resources to help guide you through the process of applying for financial aid. How to prepare before applying, getting the right requirements, websites, programs, and writing centers to help. Download a copy of the guide here: ProgamsWhile in high school it is important to involve yourself with different programs that can help you throughout the years. They are meant to help everyone enroll into college and be able to pursue a successful college life. Each school may or may not have them all, you can check your school website or ask faculty where they can direct you. AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) AVID begins typically during middle school, but you can also join during your freshman year. If you do want to enroll, you must contact the AVID advisor. Services Provided:
GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) You can become part of GEAR UP anytime just need to fill out an application if you want to. They provide workshops and other events to help students during school and if they wish to go to college.
TRiO Trio is a program that is offered both in high school and college to help low income and first generation students prepare and go into college. During high school they offer different workshops and services during the school year and summer. Every college also has it. It is alright if you don’t apply during high school. You can just contact TRIO advisor and they will help you get set up. PACE Only college freshman can apply Program provide by SLCC
College Credit/Experience During High SchoolDuring high school you can gain college credit for a much cheaper cost or even free. You can also gain experiences for different career paths. One way of getting college credit and experience is by taking AP, CTE, TRIO and CE classes. AP (Advance Placement) requires you to take or teach yourself the required material to take an exam. Depending on your score you can get full college credit. The test is scored between 1 to 5, five being the highest, this earns you full college credit. You must get a three or higher to pass the yrdy and get some college credit. You will have to pay for the exam. There is usually a financial aid offer that will lower or cover the cost completely. Once you pass it is important to inform the college advisor in order to transfer the credit over. CE (concurrent enrollment) are college classes for free to get college credit as well. It is a partnership between local high schools with colleges and universities. You must pass the class with at least C- in order to get credit, anything lower will not qualify. CTE (Career and Technical Education) are classes which teach different skills to prepare students. For students who already know which career pathway you want to follow or for students who just want to try out new opportunities. Check your high school CTE classes and see if they offer anything that could be beneficial for you to prepare. Talk to counselors and ask to be placed into these classes. Internships are short term periods where students get work experience. These are offered up by companies and organizations. Depending on the company/organization some may pay you, other times you will work for free. You can ask counselors or teachers if they know of any opportunities. If you know of a company you like to work for, you can email them asking if they have an internship. Preparing for ScholarshipsScholarships are not as easy as they may seem. For those to cover full tuition, housing, and other expenses you must do extra work. These scholarships typically require you to have good grades, personal statements, letters of recommendation, volunteer hours, or any experience with leadership. It is, of course, important to have good grades especially if you want to go into any Ivy schools. Sometimes life may get in the way, and it is understandable if you fail a class or your grades drop as long as you show that you improve and work to fix it. Volunteering is one activity that you must complete ahead of time. It can vary but some scholarships/schools may ask for 40 to 200 hours of volunteer work. It cannot be completed in one week, and you should start as soon as you can. Here are places to look for volunteer: Asking teachers/counselors Teachers and counselors are constantly being informed about different opportunities. They will be able to provide you with information or tell you who you can contact. Community Websites/post Community websites will usually have information about any local volunteer services. Homeless centers Homeless centers are always looking for people to come and serve food. You will need parental permission if you are under 18. Religious services If you are part of any religion, most times they will have a variety of jobs from cleaning, to projects, or being a mentor. Public Library Many public libraries have a volunteer program for teenagers where they create their own projects which are posted on their website. The project can be about anything it is up to you. The Salt Lake City Public Library has one! Pride Center They provide different jobs all year around. Anyone can apply. Just Serve It is an organization that provides thousands of opportunities anywhere in the United States. For students that are too busy, work or just can’t volunteer there are still other scholarships available. Going to college fairs, visiting campus, attending events where college advisors come to seek is a big step. You must learn and see the possible options that are being offered in state and out of state. Another thing to consider is looking and doing more personal research about the college you wish to attend. Scholarships |
 | The challenge will run from June 21st until August 16th. It's important to make sure you plan ahead and have enough time for completing the 30 days. Ask for a Step Up Challenge tracker at your local City Library branch! |
by Christine and Bea, Chapman Branch
 |  Christine is the Teen Librarian at the Chapman Branch. She loves working for The City Library and has worked at several branches. A fan of the TV show Supernatural, she especially likes working at Chapman because it is allegedly haunted. So far though - no ghost sightings, although, there was that one time... |
And introducing Chapman’s awesome Teen Squad!
 | Beatrice has been an amazing member of Teen Squad at the Chapman Branch for 4 years! She is excited to return to the branch this summer and work with the staff to serve our diverse community. This year Beatrice is planning on helping with Super Summer Challenge, changing up some of the displays and helping with planning fall programming at the branch. She loves the TV shows Parks and Recreation and The Office and reading! (Of course!) |