Presenter: Name: Jessica Fitzpatrick

Program Description
Engaging teens in the school library can feel like a challenge, but when we align library programming with their developmental needs, we create spaces that are dynamic, inclusive, and truly transformative. This session, based on Growing Teen Engagement: Strategies to Captivate Secondary Learners, will provide school librarians with actionable strategies for creating a learner-centered environment where teens feel seen, heard, and inspired.

Participants will explore how to design library programs that tap into teens' natural curiosity, creativity, and need for social interaction while supporting academic success and personal development. Through real-world examples, participants will learn how to implement both passive and active programming that fosters self-expression, collaboration, and leadership among secondary learners.

This session will also explore the connection between teen engagement and the AASL National School Library Standards and how library spaces and programming can support inquiry-based learning (Explore, Curate), social-emotional development (Include, Engage), and meaningful collaboration (Collaborate). Participants will walk away with practical tools, including a customizable programming calendar, ready-to-use lesson ideas, and outreach strategies to strengthen relationships with students, educators, and the broader school community.

Learning Objectives
Design and implement library programming that aligns with teen developmental needs and the AASL Standards to promote engagement, creativity, and social-emotional learning.

Develop passive and active library programs that encourage self-expression, collaboration, and leadership among secondary learners.

Apply an adaptable programming calendar to support ongoing teen engagement, ensuring the library remains a vibrant, learner-centered space.

Program Outline
1. Welcome & Introduction
2. Understanding Teen Engagement
-Why teen engagement is important in school libraries
-Overview of adolescent developmental needs (creativity, independence, social connection, physical activity, self-definition)
-Connection to the AASL National School Library Standards
3. Strategies for a Teen-Centered Library
-Development of passive and active programs, collaborative classroom and community outreach programs
-Passive programs (e.g., interactive displays, collaborative art projects, themed book scavenger hunts)
-Active programs (e.g., book clubs, leadership groups, escape rooms)
-Collaborative lessons (e.g., lessons with world language and agriculture teachers)
-Community outreach programs (e.g., making dog toys to donate to animal shelters, reading to the elderly)
-Aligning programs with AASL standards and school/library goals
-Idea Exchange: Participants will brainstorm and share passive or active programs that have worked in their libraries.
4. Implementation: Planning & Sustaining Engagement
-Create a year-round engagement plan using an adaptable program calendar and incorporating student feedback and leadership, and partner with teachers and community organizations.
-Personalized action plan: Participants will outline an engagement idea to implement in their library within the next month.
5. Closing & Next Steps
Growing Teen Engagement: Strategies to Captivate Secondary Learners

Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12

Session Strand: Design & Create

Presenter
Jessica Fitzpatrick

Jessica Fitzpatrick (or Jessie) is an award-winning librarian, author, speaker, journal contributor, and advocate based just outside of Houston, Texas. She is the author of Growing Teen Engagement: Strategies to Captivate Secondary Learners (AASL Standards-Based Learning Series), a hands-on guide to creating learner-centered library programs that support the full spectrum of teen development.

Jessie holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Houston and a Master of Library and Information Science from the University of North Texas. She has been recognized as a 2022 Library Journal Mover & Shaker and a 2022 TLA MVP. She is also the recipient of multiple honors, including the AASL Inspire Special Event Grant; the YALSA MAE Award for Best Literature Program for Teens; the 2022 TLA Branding Award for Reading Program; the 2022 TLA LIRT Project of the Year; and the 2020 TLA Branding Award for Community Engagement. Jessie has served as a contributor to YALS and served on the TAYSHAS Reading Committee.

Follow her creative library adventures on Instagram and Twitter: @librarian_fitz.


Description: How can school librarians transform their spaces into dynamic, teen-friendly environments that foster creativity, collaboration, and connection? This session, based on Growing Teen Engagement: Strategies to Captivate Secondary Learners, will explore practical strategies that align with adolescent development and the AASL National School Library Standards. Participants will learn how to design engaging programs, facilitate meaningful social interactions, and create a library culture where all teens feel seen, heard, and inspired. Participants will leave with ready-to-implement strategies, collaborative lesson ideas, and an adaptable programming calendar to cultivate a thriving, learner-centered school library.