YALSA Shark Tank Program Ideas
This was a Young Adult Library Services Association program where members submitted ideas for programs, and “Sharks” critiqued them. (They were awfully nice sharks, but these were good ideas!) I didn’t stay to find out who won funding for their idea, but all had great potential!
Sharks:
Susan Del Rosario
Crystle Martin
K-Fai Steele
David ten Have
Program Ideas:
Pitch 12: Teens and Technology: Interactive 3D display
Virtual world of Minecraft brought to life in 3D.
Project: Have teens create 3D pieces for a display they curate.
Each piece printed on 3D printer and put into a display the teens curate.
Goals: Strengthening STEM skills and increasing engagement with the library
Outcomes: How many teens involved and what they learn.
Sharks: Using Minecraft to scale up to 3D modeling, etc. Takes their interest and builds on it.
Hope you’ll find some way to celebrate what they make.
One-on-one time and small groups to teach kids the software.
Want it to be super collaborative. Help them learn teamwork.
Seeing their pieces will be satisfying.
Jennifer Bishop from Maryland, Carroll County
Use subscription box model — crates exhibited on the public floor for exploration.
TABs will create videos on monthly crate unboxings.
Teens will learn new skills.
Ideas have teens come and innovate through play.
Open access exhibit model along with program model.
Will evaluate success based on surveys.
Plan to run for one year for around $1500.
Sharks: Encouraging teens themselves to promote on social media.
Have you thought about teens determining what is in the crates?
Part of survey will determine future crates.
Do librarians get to play with the crates, too? Staff is trained, too. Someone on each branch can assist.
How will the items survive? Need to get them into the hands of everyone. Teens have been very careful with them.
There will be sheets with some things you can do with each crate.
Encouraging other librarians: There are many resources out there to learn. A lot is trial and error. We can learn along with our teens. You don’t have to be an expert to start.
Katie McBride, Mill Valley Public Library, California.
Building History in 3D
Teach kids 3D modeling skills to build a historically accurate model of their town 100 years ago.
Time Walk project.
Use local history to get community engagement.
Building history in 3D will also impact the Mill Valley community.
Great example of how libraries can be curators.
Will engage students in the past and give them technological skills.
They’ll have groups of teens work on one building at a time.
Kristin Phelps, Whittier Middle School, Oklahoma
Make Your Library Space
They have a variety of borrowed tech toys. Do have access to experts.
Have teens decide what would best meet their learning goals.
Create a Makerspace environment.
Sharks: Use other people’s money as much as possible!
Teens loved the Littlebits. They tried things out before they decide what to purchase.
Has access to university professors, collaboration with university.
More important than tools is relationship with the teens.
Think about collaborative projects when building a makerspace.
Rika, Napa County Library, California
Incorporating Digital Literacy with College and Job Readiness
–Teens are entering the workforce without critical skills
–Youth unemployment is at an all-time high.
Talked and surveyed their teens in interests and what information they needed.
There was a felt need for what colleges and jobs are looking for.
Creating climbers — space in the library — symposium reaching out to community partners to supply this information.
Sharks: How does digital literacy fit into it?
Trying to show them how it links together. Where to go? Will try to have peer teaching, which builds leadership skills.
Shanna Miles, South Atlanta High School
American’s Next Top Maker
90% of kids are economically disadvantages.
10% of class of 2015 are the first in families to graduate from high school.
Many students have outside responsibilities.
Program involves creative competition.
Incentivize digital play in the library.
Students will apply, 6 best ideas will go to next round
Will have maker packs for the next level.
Categories: App development, music production, writing, game development
Final judging will be an assembly with the student body.
Prizes are opportunities toward entrepreneurship.
Sharks will consult on winners.