Teen Squad
Salt Lake City Public Library
Innovation Synopsis
Teen Squad is a volunteer opportunity for young people in grades 7-12 to gain job and leadership development skills, serve their community in meaningful ways, and meet school-assigned volunteer hour requirements through library work. Interested teens can choose between a school year or summer term of service. Volunteers are matched with a specific library branch, and work directly with Teen Librarians to develop a project and a timeline for meeting their goals. Volunteer projects can range from learning about and assisting with tasks around the library, to personal creative projects that complement City Library services and materials and support the Library’s mission and values. Volunteers also work together to support the summer reading program, learn about the Library behind the scenes, and more!
Challenge/Opportunity
Teen Squad began in 2017 as a summer program where volunteers managed signups, event setup, and prize distribution for summer reading. During the pandemic, we shifted to remote connected learning projects and extended the program into the school year. This change provided insights into the needs of teens and staff. We found that while project work can be rewarding, it’s time-consuming and not suitable for everyone. We refined our staff standards and expectations to keep volunteers’ guardians informed and involved. Over the past two years, we balanced the needs of teens and guardians with branch capacities to create a flexible and meaningful program. Today, the program adapts to teens' needs based on their capabilities and interests. Younger participants handle routine tasks, while older ones take on leadership roles, such as customer service, assisting with program execution, and leading projects. We aim to meet each student where they are and help them achieve limitless possibilities.
Key Elements of Innovation
The new Teen Squad program is a uniquely tailored experience for each participant. Volunteer tasks and timelines are connected with their personal goals as well as library needs. Participants can focus on daily library work, personal projects, or both, aligning individual interests with the library's mission to benefit the community.
To help with early professional development, applicants undergo an interview to discuss work style, strengths, and interests. Once hired, volunteers receive coaching on basic professional expectations, respectful email communication, effective collaboration, and goal-setting.
Guardians receive surveys and personalized messages throughout the program to assess needs and satisfaction, keeping them informed and addressing any concerns.
Achieved Outcomes
Our volunteers leverage their experience into meaningful personal, educational, and professional advancement. Teen Squad has helped past volunteers complete necessary graduation requirements, apply for colleges and scholarships, and get paying jobs at the Library and abroad. Two volunteers presented a session about amplifying young adult voices in libraries at the May 2024 Utah Library Association Conference! We have also received significant feedback from both our application and our guardian surveys. 100% of responding guardians shared that their teen is enjoying the experience and has grown as an individual. Through the “Have you been a Teen Squad volunteer before?” question in our application, many returning teens express how impactful their previous experience was and how much they’ve learned about the Library. In fact, more than half of our volunteers return for another season and some have volunteered with the library throughout their whole high school career.
