Teens

My Friends at NASA

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This Spring, I have had the wonderful opportunity of working with professionals at the NASA Glenn Research Center to bring the Make it NASA: What Will it Take to Live on Mars? program to the Dover Middle School’s afterschool group, Study Plus.

As part of this program, (Learn more here!) we were able to speak to a young NASA engineer Thursday afternoon about careers in STEM professions and what it’s like working for NASA.

What is STEM? STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. I personally prefer STEAM, which adds Art to that mix.

STEM professions could be anything from doctors to engineers to architects.

Our NASA contact started us off by talking about her background and what she wanted to do when she grew up. Shockingly, our friend originally wanted to be a lawyer, but she soon found a love of mathematics that led her to a career in engineering.

Now she works with the Icing Research Tunnel, which simulates conditions where ice occurs on aircraft in order to test parts and develop ice protection systems.

Students got to ask all kinds of questions, from how astronauts get into the International Space Station to if there is any other planet like Earth in our galaxy and if we would ever colonize the moon.

We even talked about Minecraft. Turns out our engineer friend at NASA is a gamer.

This was a great opportunity and a really fun afternoon! I am so grateful to NASA Glenn for their outreach to schools and libraries as well as their flexibility and kindness. A very special thanks to them and to Dover Middle School for making this great connection happen!

Stay tuned to hear how the rest of the Make it NASA: What Will it Take to Live on Mars? project goes!

-Liz Strauss, Teen/Outreach Services Manager

Friday is for Art Videos

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It’s Friday! That means there are new episodes from three of my favorite artists on YouTube.

The artist I’ve been watching the longest is Rin. Her channel is called “Drawing Wiff Waffles.” What inspires me about Rin is her unique way of looking at things. She is always trying to learn something new, filling pages in her sketchbook with everything from zoo animals to flowers with every kind of art supply from highlighters to acrylic paints. Many of her videos start with an unboxing of an art or stationery subscription box, and she lets these surprise materials inspire her to create something new. Last week’s video even inspired me to draw a city scene.

The next artist on my list is Moriah Elizabeth, who is best known for fixing and painting squishies. Yes, squishies. Those memory foam toys that everyone is crazy about. Moriah Elizabeth has a collection of these things that she is slowly but surely working her way through. She cuts them apart, glues them back together, and paint them to make her own unique creations. I think my favorite is this masterpiece involving a giant donut.

Finally, the artist who I started following the most recently is Jackie, known as NerdECrafter. The videos that I enjoy the most from NerdECrafter are her fantastic Cash or Trash craft kit reviews. These videos are always entertaining, especially when she gets her sister involved, like this one involving a cotton candy machine. If you’re shopping for a craft kit or want some ideas for an activity, she’s just the person to give you an honest opinion.

Whether it’s making something I’ve never made before, learning about a new skill, or drawing along, I know each Friday is going to inspire me to create.

And if these three channels aren’t your style, there’s always Bob Ross.

Draw on!

-Liz Strauss, Teen/Outreach Services Manager

Start Your (Reading) Engines!

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young reader looks at a bookshelf

Are you stuck with how to start your 100 Book Club challenge this year? Here are five big book lists to get you started:

Happy Reading!

100 Book Club Reminder!

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vintage lady remembering a calendar date

Turn in your 2020 tracker by January 8

Did you reach your reading goal in 2020? If you joined the 100 Book Club and have a tracker to turn in, make sure you do so by Friday, January 8, in order to get your T-shirt and club membership card. This year, our in-person reception has been postponed. We will contact all eligible members when t-shirts are available for pick up and when we have a date for a reception. Call us at 330-343-6123 with any questions.  Congratulations to all who made reading a priority in 2020!

Learn more about the 100 Book Club!

A Very Merry Ukulele 2020

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Last year, I had the great fortune to be able to host not one but TWO ukulele programs teaching patrons of all ages some easy Christmas songs. It was such a blast to be able to get together and sing and share the love of music and the holiday season.

Then 2020 happened, and in-person programs, especially hands-on programs like a ukulele lesson, are out. So, this year, to save me from tears, I took to the Internet to keep up the tradition that I hope A Very Merry Ukulele becomes.

Liz at A Very Merry Ukulele

Going on Facebook Live and singing and playing on the Internet was a big step for me. I am not a confident singer nor in any way a professional musician. What I lack in skill, I hope I make up for in excitement and humor. My biggest goal with this video was just to brighten someone’s day.

The holiday season, with its short days and cold winds, can be a challenge for many. I know it can be a challenge for me. Sometimes, just a little thing like a silly ukulele video (or a funny sign, or a coworker doing the hula) can help.

So, take a break for a second and do something silly. Sing a song, dance. Make someone smile. And have a happy holiday, despite what 2020 has thrown at us.

Hope to see you next year for another in-person Very Merry Ukulele program!

Watch my music lesson on Facebook here and download last year’s handout here.

-Liz Strauss, Teen/Outreach Services Manager

Holidays Around the World

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This year has been different to say the least.  Most people have not traveled anywhere or at least have stayed close to home. 

So, we decided to give everyone a little taste of adventure this holiday season by transforming the top of the bookshelves in the Children’s Department into a trip around the world.

Christmas is celebrated by a lot of people in the United States and a lot of European countries, but you can’t forget about Hanukkah and Kwanzaa too. 

I have learned so many cool facts about different countries, like how Ukraine uses a spider web on their trees due to an old folk tale.  In Thailand most people are Buddhist, but those that celebrate Christmas like to use the fish, which is a Christian symbol, to make special ornaments for the tree. 

Kwanzaa came into existence in 1966 to celebrate African American heritage. 

Hanukkah is celebrated for 8 nights because the Maccabees were able to survive with a day’s worth of oil that lasted 8 days.

Of course, the Christmas season in the United States is a religious holiday for many representing the birth of Christ, and homes and churches decorate with manger sets, trees and hold family gatherings.

It is also welcomed by many celebrating the arrival of Santa, gift giving and the reading of the ever popular The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore.  Did you know that it was first published as an anonymous poem in 1823, and in 1837 was found to be authored by Moore. 

Stop in and find out more about this joyous holiday season! 

This display starts November 16 and will continue until the end of December.  It is for kids of all ages.

-Jen Gardner, Children’s Department Manager

Halloween at Home

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Stuck at home this Halloween? Make the most of it with these five fun activities you can do without leaving the house!

  1. Interactive Movies: Watch your favorite movie with a new twist. Come up with actions to do during key moments in the movie to turn movie night into a game. Need some ideas? Check out YALSA’s post on Interactive Movies for scripts and more.
  2. Ghost Hunt: Hide paper ghosts or other ghost props around your house and have the kids race to find them all! Search for free clipart to use on Pixabay or draw your own!
  3. Halloween Egg Hunt: Have the Easter Bunny help you out for this one! Hide candy and toy-filled plastic eggs around the house. Bonus craft: decorate your plastic eggs with puffy paint to turn them into pumpkins, ghosts, monsters, and more. Not crafty? There’s always these pumpkin eggs from Amazon.
  4. Scavenger Hunts & Escape Rooms: Feeling a bit more ambitious? Try your hand at making a custom Scavenger Hunt or go a step further with an Escape Room! Check out Escape Room puzzle ideas and downloadable kits at Lock, Paper, Scissors and Instructables.
  5. Minute to Win It: Play a series of challenging mini-games to win the title of Halloween Champion. Come up with your own games or do classic Halloween games like bobbing for apples. Need some ideas? Check out 30 Easy & Fun Minute-to-Win-It Games for Kids from Red Tricycle.

Happy Halloween!

-the DPL Staff