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by Christine, Chapman Branch  The end of the school year is coming in just a couple of weeks and that's cause for celebration. Today's post features a Do It Yourself tutorial for making a mini piñata. These tiny piñatas are great for any occasion, and pretty easy to make, so you could even make them as gifts for your friends. Our example features a rainbow color scheme, which would make a great Pride Month gift or party accessory, but you can use any colors of tissue paper for different holidays or events.  A piñata covered in rainbow tissue paper hangs on a white cabinet door knob You can view and print the piñata instructions by clicking the button below. Enjoy & Congratulations on making it to summer!  A rainbow piñata lays on grey carpet surrounded by candies and rainbow confetti
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by Saia, Glendale Branch  I love to write and try to find new ways to level up my own skills as a writer. Most times, writing can be a daunting task, so to make it easier I like to find different writing exercises to help get words onto the page. Writing 100 word stories is one of these exercises. Here are a few tips to help you get started. 1. Don't think. Just write! Lots of times I tend to overthink things. Writing is no exception. When writing a 100 word story, turn off that little voice in your head that says your story isn't good enough. That voice knows nothing of writing a story and will keep you from having fun. Write down what needs to be said and don't take yourself too seriously! 2. Pick a random theme. If you truly can't think of anything to write about, pick a random theme, topic, or subject and start writing about that. Google has fun random theme generators that can help you out when you are feeling stuck. 3. Edit! It's very likely that you will go over one hundred words when writing your story. This is absolutely, positively, 100% A-OK! When I actually start to write, I realize that one hundred words isn't that much! Once I have gotten down all the things that I want, I go back and edit it down to one hundred. This helps me find the most important parts of the story to keep and to let go or minimize the parts that don't help move the feeling of the story. What are you waiting for? Pick up a pen and paper or open up your laptop and get to writing! There are so many stories to tell and so many eyes and ears eagerly awaiting to read what you have to say. Below is an example of a 100 Word Story that I wrote for this blog post. What will yours be about? At last, it’s over. My sword was held high behind me with my arm extended out. I could hear the blood drip from the blade onto old dry leaves. Nothing but ash and silence could be found around me. At last it’s over, the last foe cut down-At last we’re free. All fear dissipated. All doubts gone. All that remained now was emptiness. I turned slowly, surveying the smoky landscape. I could see the faint shapes of the fallen in the distance. The emptiness grew inside me as the sound of leaves cracked under my feet. It's all over. We would love to feature some of your 100 Word Stories on our Teen Creations page. If you'd like to share, please submit them here.  by Becca, Main Library  Calling all zine makers, creatives, writers, and artists! We want you to join Teen Zine Team! What is a zine? A zine is a self-published magazine that comes in any shape and size and can be about any topic. Did you know The City Library has a large collection of zines that you can check out? Visit the Main Library to browse this great, eclectic, and interesting collection.   The Teen Lounge on Level 2 of the Main Library also has its own Teen Zine wall. All of the zines you’ll find on this wall are made by teens and are free to take! No checkout necessary.  If you want to learn more about this awesome form of alternative press, we would love to have you join us at Teen Zine Team. Teen Zine Team is a weekly meetup with Grid Zine Fest and The City Library where you can explore your creativity by working on individual zines, collaborative projects, bookbinding, and more. No experience needed! If you’re brand new to zines, we’ll show you how to get started. In the past, Teen Zine Team members have attended events such as Grid Zine Fest’s summer zine swap and picnic, Alt Press Fest’s writing and zine-making workshops, and we table together at local zine festivals.  Teen Zine Team is held on Thursdays from 4-5pm on Zoom until we can meet in person again. If you don’t have zine making supplies at home, sign up here for your own zine-making kit. We hope to see you there! Click here to join the zoom meeting. Meeting ID: 984 1761 2674 Passcode: 834217 Held in partnership with Grid Zine Fest.  by Samantha, Sprague Teen Squad  This summer, Sprague Teen Squad volunteer Samantha created a digital cookbook of easy healthy snacks! Check out a sneak peek below, and download the full cookbook here.   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! |