What does it take to build services for middle schoolers that work? A good place to start is by thinking about what the outcomes of the services are and then working backwards to plan something just right for the age group. In this four-week online course taught by Linda Braun participants will:

• Develop a set of outcomes for building a service for middle schoolers
• Consider who in the community to work with in order to achieve those outcomes
• Determine what activities will help to reach the desired outcomes
• Design a plan for building a service that supports the needs of local middle schoolers

This e-course will take place using Instructure Canvas and will include readings, individual activities and reflection, group discussions, and optional weekly Zoom sessions. Once you have registered for the course, you will be given instructions for how to access the Canvas portal. The course is designed in weekly modules which are scaffolded and designed to be completed in order, though on your own time schedule and your own pace within the four-week course. The course runs from April 6 through May 1.

You can expect to spend 3-5 hours per week, for a total of 12-15 hours. 

If you were not able to attend the Fall 2019 in-person workshop with Linda, or if you'd like a refresher, read/watch these resources prior to the start of the course.

• The young adolescent brain
• (Re)Discovering Social Emotional Learning
• 5 Keys to Social Emotional Learning Success

School librarians are eligible to earn 10 PDPs for this course.

Linda Braun is a learning consultant with LEO. In her work she focuses on helping library staff develop high-quality activities for and with teens. Linda manages two IMLS projects for the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA): Future Ready with the Library, which focuses on supporting middle school age youth with college career readiness needs, and Transforming Teen Services a Train the Trainer Approach, focusing on the supporting library staff in building connected learning and computational thinking activities for and with teens.