Teen volunteer program coming to Barbour Libraries

4/27/2011

CHARLESTON – The League of Extraordinary Teens, a volunteer program for high school students will be having an information session at both the Belington and Philippi Public Libraries on Friday, May 20, 2011.

This will be the second summer that the League has been offered in Barbour County. Last year, the county hosted nine volunteers through the program, concluding with an awards ceremony and reception in Charleston in September.

The basis of The League of Extraordinary Teens is simple. It requires volunteers to serve a minimum of twenty hours at their local public library with an emphasis on learning library operations, organizing story hours, or tutoring children in reading. Students may apply the volunteer hours earned to college applications and service organizations.

League coordinator Sara Price is excited about the upcoming program and the opportunity it has for students to succeed. “Public libraries have such good programs they could offer, but some just don’t have the staffing to do them or the resources to help get teenagers invested in their communities.”

With programs like The League of Extraordinary Teens, the investment teenagers make will benefit themselves longer than a summer of volunteering. “These kids will be learning more than just how to operate a library; they will grow individually and gain life skills to help them excel in the future,” said Price.

The League was originally started by the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts as part of West Virginia’s Imagination Library program. It is exclusively available to teens in the 29 counties who have Imagination Library. Plans for expanding The League of Extraordinary Teens are underway with the ultimate goal of having the volunteer program in every county in West Virginia.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, a League information session will take place on May 20 at both the Philippi and Belington Public Library. The Philippi session will be from 4:00pm – 5:00pm and the Belington session will be from 5:30pm – 6:30pm. If you have questions, please visit your local library or call Sara Price at (304) 558-2440.

Contact Information

Sara Price