Adult 101: Life Skills Bootcamp for Teens

About the Program

Category: Libraries (Best in Category)

Year: 2017

Teenagers no longer learn the soft skills necessary for success in adulthood in schools, yet survey after survey indicates these life skills are key to both workplace and personal success. Seeking to provide teens the training and knowledge needed but not being offered elsewhere, LA County Library developed a workshop called “Adult 101: Life Skills Bootcamp for Teens,” a workshop series intended to teach teens ages 13-18 modern life skills, with a goal of helping them thrive professionally and personally. Funded by a California State Library Fiscal Year 2015-2016 Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Pitch an Idea Grant, the series was implemented in 15 of LA County’s 87 libraries as a pilot program in the 2015-2016 fiscal year. Each pilot library offered 12 sessions in 8 topics: etiquette, financial savvy, nutrition and fitness, personal development, personal safety, public speaking, social media and cyber smarts, and workplace know-how and time management. Specialist consultants were hired to craft and teach the classes, but the workshops also presented an opportunity to partner with community organizations and government departments, expanding the Library’s reach and accomplishing shared goals. The workshops also presented an opportunity to create programs-in-a-box— which include program description, instructions, and materials—for ease of replication of these sessions by librarians in the future. After a successful first year, with over 1,200 attendees and more than 79 percent of teens who were hesitant about their skills reporting improved confidence, the LA County Library has decided to expand the program system-wide and has received another small grant to support its efforts.