Greta Thunberg. Malala Yousafzai. David Hogg. Emma Gonzalez. Yara Shahidi. Marley Diaz.
All young people, all activists, who have made huge impacts on their communities by organizing for social change. Greta Thunberg was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in March 2019 for spurring an international movement of students striking on behalf of climate change. Malala Yousafzai was the youngest Nobel Prize laureate in history in 2014. The outspoken defender of women’s education survived the attempt on her life by the Taliban and has kept fighting for the rights of women and refugees everywhere. David Hogg and Emma Gonzalez and Parkland Shooting survivors who sparked the #NeverAgain movement for gun control. The movement inspired thousands of students to walk out of school in a massive nationwide youth protest. Yara Shahidi has taken on issues like diversity in Hollywood and female empowerment in education, forming Yara’s Club, in partnership with The Women's Leadership School and worked with former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let Girls Learn education initiative. Marley Diaz is the founder of the #1000blackgirlbooks campaign. She started the campaign when she was 11 to collect and donate 1,000 books to her peers that featured black girls as the main characters because she was sick of reading about white boys and dogs. The campaign was a massive success.
Every teen can learn how to be an activist and make a difference in their community. They can be just like Greta or Malala or Yara. They can be the leaders of huge social movements. You just have to start small, like getting involved at your local library. Greenburgh Public Library has several programs coming up that provide opportunities for teens to speak up and get involved in civic engagement. Teens decide what they are interested in, who and what they want to advocate for, and how they will accomplish their goals. Any teen can be an activist and Greenburgh Public Library can help!
Teen GSA: Gender and Sexuality Alliance
Friday, May 14, 4 pm
Greenburgh Public Library and Scarsdale Public Library unite to bring teens across Westchester a virtual GSA every month. For the first meeting, we'll discuss David Levithan's Boy meets Boy. This club is a safe space for everyone.
Saturday, May 22, 2:30 pm
Teens have YOUR voice heard in YOUR library! Help plan events, pick out teen collections (books, magazines, video games & more), promote & encourage teen library use — all while earning One hour of volunteer hours.
For middle and high school age.
Courageous Conversations About Race
Thursday May 27, 6:30 pm
Join Greenburgh Public Library & Hendrick Hudson Free Library as we continue our monthly discussion series to learn about the history of our nation, and through dialogue and education, understand and address the wounds of racism. These conversations will be facilitated by Ridvan Foxhall, the executive director of New Era Creative Space in Peekskill, NY.
Registration is required -- a Zoom link will be emailed to participants.
This program is brought to you by a partnership between Greenburgh Public Library and Hendrick Hudson Free Library.
VolunTeens who participate in this event are eligible to earn community service hours. Email greenteen@greenborghlibrary.org for more details.