2020 might be off to a great start, but that doesn’t mean we have forgotten all the amazing teen programs we had in 2019. We decided to highlight our favorites. We hope you enjoy looking at these photos as we stroll back through 2019.
January 2019: Becky Albertalli visits the Homewood Public Library
Is there a better way to kick off 2019 than with a visit from Becky Albertalli? Author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and The Upside of Unrequited Love visited with our teens and shared her story. Our Teen Advisory Board suggested a visit from Albertalli, who only lives 2 hours away. She discussed writing, the movie business, and Waffle House. She stayed several hours after the event so she could talk to all the teens and even read some of their writing!
February 2019: Stupid Cupid Chocolate Party
This annual event is a favorite among our teens. From a candy bar guessing game to multiple fondue pots, this event is all about celebrating the joys of chocolate instead of romance.
March 2019: Women Making History Film Series
To celebrate Women’s History Month, we hosted a weekly documentary film screening that highlighted rockstar women in history. With this film series we were able to introduce a new generation to Maya Angelou, Jane Goodall, Malala Yousafzai, and the women who ushered in the modern computer age.
April 2019: Student Art Show
Our 3rd annual student art show proved to be the biggest one yet. With over 132 entries from local K-12 students, we were able to highlight some of our rising artists.
May 2019: Jackson Pollock Art Class
Our teens got inspired by one of the world’s most famous modern painters. With the help of local artist, Bo Hughins, our teens learned about Pollock’s tumultuous life and how to recreate his famous drip style paintings.
June 2019: Stop Motion Animation Camp
This three-day workshop taught teens how to create their own stop motion videos. After taking hundreds of stills using Legos, they turned out pretty great!
July 2019: Self-Defense for Teen Girls
Karen Mitchell and her team from Impact Martial Arts joined us in July for a self-defense class for 6th-12th grade girls. With over 100 girls in attendance, this has become one of our biggest summer programs.
August 2019: The Road to College
This twice a year program continues to grow. With over 17 colleges and universities at our August 2019 edition, the Road to College continues to help teens and parents who are overwhelmed with the college application process.
September 2019: Animal Allies with Alabama Rabbit Rescue
Animal Allies got a special treat in September, a visit from the Alabama Rabbit Rescue. Animal Allies, our monthly teen service organization that is all about raising awareness for animals, learned about the Alabama Rabbit Rescue and what they could do to help this organization.
October 2019: 6 Word Story Contest
Can you really create a good story with just 6 words? Our teens proved over and over again that they can! Our judges loved reading these entries so much that we expanded the award categories to highlight more winners.
November 2019: Pop-tart Taste Off
With over 13 flavors, guessing these pop-tarts proved a little difficult for our teens. Tasty, but tough!
December 2019: Ugly Sweater Design Party
There’s no doubt that our biggest December program is our now annual ugly sweater design party. We provide the sweaters and all the Dollar Tree holiday crafts and our teens provide the skills to create some pretty tacky fashionable wear.