Teen Crew Testimonial

By Henry Schrauben (11), a first-time member of the Englehardt Branch’s Teen Crew
This article was originally published in Lowell's First Look.

Over the summer, about 20 kids have been volunteering at the Englehardt Library. They have to be going into 6th -12th grade. After an orientation, kids could sign up for two-hour shifts each week. The program started on June 6 and ends on August 5. 

The Jobs You Can Sign Up For
There are many different jobs. Some are Teen Branch Helper, KDL Lab, Ruff Readers, Family Storytime and Patron Party Assistant. 

Teen Branch Helper is where you just help with stuff in the backrooms. In KDL Lab, you help watch and explain a station during a special program like Superhero Training. During Ruff Readers, you help kids sign up to read to dogs and show them where to go to their dog. Patron Party Assistant is like KDL Lab, but there are stations throughout the whole library and it’s all day. 

Why Someone Would Want to Volunteer
You can work shifts with friends. It’s fun to hang out with friends. It also makes it seem like you’re working less and for a shorter time.

You get paid with snacks and candy. When you are just starting your shift you can get a small bag of different types of chips or 2 pieces of candy. 

You can see cool programs happening. If you do KDL Lab, you can watch things like Superhero Training and Ahoy! A Pirate’s Adventure. 

What You Learn
It’s a good place to volunteer. Being able to volunteer as a kid is a good experience. It’s important to give back to the community. You learn to be more independent.

You meet new people and learn how to help people you don’t know. You need to be able to answer people’s questions and explain things to them. Being able to know how to organize things is important.

Volunteer Next Year!
Even though it’s too late to sign up now, you can next year. Information will be available around May of 2023 for next year’s Teen Crew. The people who work at the library are good at helping you if you need it.