End of the Summer Teen Party!

Last Thursday DeWitt District Library hosted our End of the Summer Teen Party! Our teens who have participated in the summer programs as well as our awesome volunteens turned out to spend the afternoon playing board games, eating pizza, and hanging out. We also had a variety of Minute to Win it games where teens could race against each other and the clock to complete a variety of tasks.

The beautiful summer weather allowed us to spend some time outside as well chalking the sidewalk, face painting, and playing Giant Jenga.

We listened to music and some teens showcased different talents and skills.  There was quite the buzz surrounding our stacking cups!

It was really just all about having fun, celebrating the summer, and enjoying some time together at the library.  We look forward to seeing our teens back in the fall for some fun school year programs!

Our teens enjoyed taking pictures in the photo booth using props they created! 

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Volunteering – What’s in it for me?

With the summer season fast approaching you may find yourself with a little extra time on your hands.  Here is a list of reasons you should consider volunteering.

1. 
   You get to help those who need it. This is the obvious benefit, right? But it’s also the
   most important part. As a volunteer, you have a great opportunity to give back to your community in any area that is important to you. What passion could you pass on to others?
2. Volunteering is great for your mental and even physical health. Not only does volunteering boost self-confidence and happiness, but it has also been found that people who volunteer have lower mortality rates than those who don’t.
3. Volunteering can teach you the social and networking skills that you will need as an adult. Volunteering can teach you how to network and build a list of important contacts. The people you volunteer with are also great candidates for recommendation letters for college and future jobs. These are the people who have seen how you interact with others in social situations and how you handle new challenges.
4. Volunteering lets you see how others experience the world and opens your eyes to something new. From giving food at animal shelters to shelving books at the library, volunteering can expose you to very new experiences that you may not have known otherwise. Having new experiences can help you discover a new passion, and gives you the contacts to pursue that passion.
5. Make your resume shine. Volunteer experience can set you apart from other applicants for job and school applications. Your volunteer experience shows that you are ambitious, that you care about your community, and that you are willing to work to affect change. These are great qualities that recruiters and admissions officers look for in a potential student or employee.

Volunteer Opportunities @ the Library

With as little as two extra hours per week, you could volunteer time at the DeWitt District Library.  During the summer our VolunTeens help us with a variety of tasks from handing our summer reading prizes to helping kids with craft projects.  For more information about becoming a volunteer at the library visit our VolunTeen page.

Need even more reasons to volunteer?….

1. Opens doors to new experiences and unique opportunities

2. Develop skills that help you to give back to your community

3. Meet new people and make new friends

4. Improve interpersonal skills through teamwork and networking

5. Increased self motivation and improved academic success

6. Opportunity to discover new skills, talents and interests

7. An inside look at how organizations operate

8. Critical thinking, problem solving and teamwork development

9. Take a look at the “real” working world

10. Networks to future opportunities

11. Working with others to accomplish greater things

12. Improving lives of people in the community

13. Creating healthy, sustainable communities

VolunTeens Needed

VolunTeens Lauren and Jules worked our Star Wars @ the Library program on May 4th.

Each year the Library relies on a number of teen volunteers to help provide support at library programs and work on special projects.  Teen volunteers can gain experience working with children, helping to keep the library organized, providing support and guidance at events, and registering participants for our summer reading program.  Our volunTeens are a critical part of our summer programming.  Library events are often packed with families looking for fun summer activities and our volunTeens help to ensure that these programs run smoothly and everybody has a great time.  With a commitment of just 2 hours per week teens who have completed the 6th grade can build volunteer hours, gain valuable work experience and participate in family fun summer programs.  The Library is now accepting volunTeen applications of our summer volunteering session.  Click on over to our VolunTeens page for more information or to print an application today.