Pima County Public Library Announces Summer Art For Youth – The Youth Center At Literacy Connects

Press release from the Pima County Public Library:

May 10, 2021

I spoke with Sharon O’Brien, artistic director of Stories that Soar!, opens a new window, the program at Literacy Connects, opens a new window that transforms and shares students’ words and ideas through the arts. They create space for young people to write stories of their choosing and explore drama, theater, dance, music, and film to turn their original stories into an art form.

Literacy Connects has a Youth Center, opens a new window full of media arts equipment and a theater space with teacher-artists ready to work with middle school-age youth this summer in their annual summer camp.

Their strategy for engaging youth is collaborative. Youth share stories with each other and push themselves to achieve a common goal—an original production. O’Brien explained the value of collaboration by emphasizing that youth need to communicate, divide activities, take ownership of roles and share power by rotating leadership. The Youth Center is a safe place where youth can take creative risks, develop their skills, and meet new friends. Youth discover their assets in a fun and imaginative process.

Through the month of June, the Youth Center will host a morning in-person cohort of students and an afternoon virtual cohort. Cohorts will share stories and work together to choose and develop select stories into final productions. The Youth Center will end the summer camp with a multi-media celebration that showcases the theater and film productions. The summer camp is open to middle school-age youth and is free to all participants, thanks to the generosity of Literacy Connects sponsors and Pima County. Camp director Alyssa Ruiz is available to field questions at 520-820-8994.

Find out more, opens a new window about getting involved!

Find out what the library is planning, opens a new window for tweens and teens this summer!

by Matt L., Assistant Manager, Woods Memorial Library

This press release was produced by the Pima County Public Library. The views expressed here are the author’s own.