The Oak Park Public Library is looking for teens who are interested in having a say in how the library serves middle school and high schoolers in the community through the Leading Edge Teen Advisory Board.
The LETAB is a teen-led organization that works to promote, support and create library initiatives with a focus on helping teens become great leaders.
Latonia Jackson, manager of middle and high school services, said the program has 10 students so far, but they are looking for about another five to 10 students to join the advisory board and give their input about library activities.
The intent of LETAB, is to help students come to understand how the teen space at the library operates and to help facilitate ways to not only make it more beneficial to area teens, but also how to continue to cultivate a welcoming environment.
“They spend time in the space, so they know what happens here and what doesn’t happen here so they can advise,” Jackson said. “They are liaisons with the schools they go to so they can promote events.”
Jackson said participating teens have already planned a monthly movie night, a Friendsgiving and a winter fest. They are also working on designing a new logo for LETAB. Additionally, they are working on a social media campaign for 2024 to help promote activities at the library.
Xiomara Grachan, a senior at Oak Park and River Forest High School, joined the advisory board about three years ago, during COVID, and said it has been great to see the board develop and grow.
“Especially since I joined during COVID, it was starting from the ground up again,” Grachan said. “Getting to grow a community, getting our name out there, getting our brand out there was something that I have always been excited by. It is something I want to do career wise, so watching it from a small scale is exciting for me.”
While the high schoolers work on programs to benefit their community, Jackson said they also gain knowledge and great skills through the leadership courses they receive to take with them and apply outside the library.
“We are building leaders as well,” Jackson said. “They have a cabinet, there is a president and a vice-president. There is a marketing person, we are also teaching them the role of different types of leaders.”
Helping develop those qualities in high schoolers is a main goal of the program, Jackson said.
“We want to develop the leadership skills in them,” Jackson said. “Some of them come and you can tell right away they have potential; some are already strong leaders. So, we use the strong leaders as [someone] the other students can learn from but all of them, there is something that can still be developed.”
Being able to be a part of a community and foster relationships is a positive that Grachan said they have gained from the program, as well as hosting events that create a safe environment and space for teens to be a part of.
“I would say join, your voice is always valued,” Grachan said. “I have seen members of the club grow and develop and become leaders in a way I wouldn’t have thought from them. It is a great way to get out there, even if you are not involved in a whole lot of groups. It is something that is well-balanced, very diverse, and gives you a lot of opportunities.”
Jackson said the group is very active around the library, meeting every Monday.
One program organized by LETAB, “MHS WinterFest,” will be held on Saturday, Dec. 15 in the Veterans Room of the main library, on Lake Street. The event is open to students in grades 6 – 12 to celebrate the end of the semester and winter holidays. The library will host food, music, and games. Registration is open.
LETAB is open to all high school students who wish to participate. An application can be found on the Oak Park Public Library website.
