At Sherman Park Branch, teens are working alongside their teen librarian, Faith, on a summer-long water conservation study with partners including Mark Hauser from Friends of the Chicago River and Professor Mike Bryson of Roosevelt University's Sustainability Studies Program. (You can check out the Sustainability Studies Program blog to learn more.)
In the teens' STEM-focused events, they've explored various sources of water; the water cycle; water pollution; water filtration and cleaning systems; water as a mode of transportation and more! Their adventures include visiting the Sherman Park lagoon and traveling along the Chicago River on a Chicago water taxi, as well as field trips to Lake Michigan, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum and Shedd Aquarium.
Faith and the teens have also been learning about environmental justice, advocacy and campaigning. By the end of the summer, they hope to pull together a water conservation festival at which they will encourage the community to become more aware of water scarcity and sustainability. Faith explained that, "the teens are learning such important skills, including research, collaboration and communication" that will support them as future citizens moving forward.
See upcoming events for teens at Sherman Park Branch.
Sherman Park Branch is a recipient of a 2018 Teen Summer Challenge: Imagine Doing More! mini-grant made possible through the Chicago Public Library Foundation. #ImagineAtCPL #CPLTeens #NoSmallPlans
