New California Council for the Humanities Teen Program

Califa is happy to be partnering with the California Council for the Humanities again on their new program How I See It: Teens Document Their World Through Digital Media. The program has already been piloted by several libraries, who shared their experiences at the CLA conference. Erica Cuyogan of Santa Monica Public Library and Sue Struthers and Alicia Doktor of Riverside Public Library spoke about the projects they and colleagues in Fresno and Yuba City conducted last fall. Teens at each library researched and documented aspects of youth culture (social networking, music, spoken word and “rebellious art”) and created public programs that shared their research and engaged community members and peers in discussions.

Califa and CCH’s next teen-focused project in libraries is How I See It: My Place, which, with the generous support of the State Library, will provide resources, training, equipment and small grants for programs next summer and fall (2008). An application will be available on the CCH website from December 10 through January 17, 2008; decisions will be announced by March 1.

For more information, visit the CCH website at http://www.calhum.org/programs/HISI_libraries_myPlace.htm, or contact Senior Programs Manager Felicia Kelley at fkelley@calhum.org.