Get book recommendations, links to online games and quizzes, fun podcasts, reminders about upcoming library programs and more. There's new content every month! You can check out our archive (below) or sign up for the monthly Teen Think Tank newsletter to get new content delivered directly to your inbox!
Teen Think Tank (6th - 12th Grade): National Hobby Month
January is National Hobby Month, the perfect time of year to pick up a new hobby, or get back into an old one that you haven’t thought about in a while! One of the great things about having a hobby is that it can take your mind off the pressure of school or other daily stresses. Sit down and think about what you really love to do. What are you passionate about in life? What sparks your interest the most? What are you curious about? What are your goals?
Teen Think Tank: Winter Break
It may be cold outside, but don't let that stop you from having fun! You've earned this break from school with all your hard work, so enjoy the downtime with family and friends. Check out all the great ideas for activities below - whether you try any of these suggestions or come up with your own ideas, I want to know how your break goes!
Teen Think Tank (6th - 12th Grade): Fruitcake
The fruitcake has been mocked so mercilessly over the years that it's easy to forget that it wasn't always a national joke. In fact, up until the 1980's, it used to be a beloved American holiday staple! Legendary late-night TV host Johnny Carson made a now-famous joke on The Tonight Show, saying, "The worst Christmas gift is fruitcake. There is only one fruitcake in the entire world, and people keep sending it to each other."
Teen Think Tank (6th - 12th Grade): Climate Change
Living in Florida, high temperatures and unpredictable storms are something we expect to live with. Unfortunately, unstable weather has become a global environmental crisis, commonly referred to as "Climate Change".
Climate change is generally defined as a significant variation of average weather conditions—say, conditions becoming warmer, wetter, or drier—over several decades or more. It’s the longer-term trend that differentiates climate change from natural weather variability.
Teen Think Tank (6th - 12th Grade): Snail Mail
When I was in middle and high school, I had a Pen Pal. She lived in Wyoming while I lived in New York, and it seemed like her life was so much more exciting than mine! I loved writing to her and asking her questions, and then would rush home to check the mailbox for a reply for the next 2 weeks.