Apply now for 2015 Teen Tech Week™ Grants

CHICAGO – The Young Adult Library Services Association has opened the application for its 2015 Teen Tech Week Grants.

Through generous funding from Best Buy, 20 grants worth $1000 each will be distributed to libraries to help support their digital literacy programs.

Interested applicants are invited to apply for the grants if they meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Must be a YALSA member at the time the application is submitted
• Activity/program must be organized through a library
• Program must be open to all teens in the community

Eligible applicants can apply now through Jan. 1, 2015. Recipients will be announced on or around the week of Jan. 26, 2015.

Supplemental products related to Teen Tech Week and digital literacy, such as a Makerspace Safety poster, a Good Digital Citizen poster and bookmark and YALSA’s Teen Read Week and Teen Tech Week: Tips and Resources for YALSA’s Initiative publication are available for purchase through the ALA Store.

Learn more about making in libraries via the resources on YALSA’s wiki, including a free webinar and downloadable toolkit. Read YALSA’s recent report “The Future of Library Services for and with Teens: A Call to Action” to learn more about libraries’ role in helping teens extend their learning beyond the classroom in order to gain the digital literacy skills needed for 21^st century careers. The report can be accessed at www.ala.org/yaforum.

Teen Tech Week is a national celebration that offers libraries the chance to highlight all of the digital tools, resources and services they offer to teens and their families. It will be celebrated with the theme “Libraries are for Making….” March 8-14, 2015. To learn more about Teen Tech Week, visit www.ala.org/teentechweek, or check out #TTW15 on Twitter.

For more than 50 years, YALSA has worked to build the capacity of libraries and librarians to engage, serve and empower teens. For more information about YALSA or to access national guidelines and other resources go to www.ala.org/yalsa, or contact the YALSA office by phone, (800) 545-2433, ext. 4390, or e-mail: yalsa@ala.org.