Teen participation in the Summer Learning Program at PCPL has dropped off precipitously in the past few years. Seeking nontraditional ways to reengage teens and expand Connected Learning for youth across the Library system, staff invited Teen Advisory Board members to act as Field Day event planners. Students achieve higher-order learning outcomes when their work is focused on personally interesting and relevant topics. Serving as Field Day coordinators, teens gained practical experience in a peer- and mentor-supported learning environment. They were allowed an opportunity to learn together (and with experts) through interaction, sharing, and providing input.

An innovative experiment in connected learning, Field Day allowed teens to participate in large-scale event coordination and execution. While planning an event with major public impact, teens exercised skills in critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and creativity. Attracting more than 500 attendees, Field Day featured dozens of community partners whose expectations required precise handling and organization. Teens worked together and with staff to ensure that partners’ and attendees’ needs were met. A highly-successful collaboration between PCPL and Teen Advisory Board Members, Field Day offered local youth learning opportunities and a chance to become invested members of their library and community.

Youth from five PCPL Teen Advisory Boards took part in bringing the inaugural Field Day to fruition. Overseeing various aspects of the events – from set-up and tear-down to volunteer check-in and supplies – they actively used Connected Learning skills to navigate the challenges provided by the event. We saw leaders emerge to take charge of difficult situations, innovators find creative solutions for problems, and bonds form between TAB groups that had never previously worked together. We watched these amazing youth charge ahead to make Field Day a wild success!