Teen Voices Festival at NYPL

Teen Voices Festival at NYPL

Celebrate teen creativity at NYPL's Teen Voices Festival!

Date and time

Wednesday, August 7 · 12 - 4pm EDT

Location

New York Public Library - Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

476 5th Avenue New York, NY 10018

Agenda

12:00 PM - 12:30 PM

Doors Open

Please enter the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building at the 42nd Street accessible entrance. Giveaways upon entry, art exhibit by teens across NYC open for viewing (Bartos Forum, Ground Floor)

12:30 PM - 1:00 PM

Guest Speaker: Marley Dias

Marley Dias

Hear from Marley Dias, Teen Activist, Author, Producer, Creator of #1000BlackGirlBooks (Bartos Forum, Ground Floor)

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Tabling Fair of Partner Organizations & DIY Arts Stations

Organizations represented include 92NY, ArtsConnection, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Building Beats, Community-Word Project, DoSomething and the Voter Catalyst Network, DCTV Youth Media, Girls Write No...

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Special Access to NYPL's Picture Collection

Explore NYPL's Picture Collection—an unparalleled visual resource for creative people in any medium. It contains well over one million original prints, photographs, posters, postcards, and illustrati...

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Special Access to NYPL's Zine Collection

Stop by the Periodicals Room to see fun and creative zines from NYPL's collection! Zines are “do-it-yourself” (DIY) handmade magazines that come in all different shapes, sizes, and formats. Many a...

1:00 AM - 1:55 PM

Activity Block 1: Photography Workshop

Join NYPL teen staff for an interactive photography workshop! (Berger Forum, 2nd Floor)

1:00 PM - 1:55 PM

Activity Block 1: Special Exhibitions Tour

Take a special tour of The Polonsky Exhibition of The New York Public Library's Treasures. (Gottesman Hall, 1st Floor)

1:00 PM - 1:55 PM

Activity Block 1: Map Your World Workshop

Community-Word Project

Join a Community-Word Project teaching artist to explore your own personal journey in the form of a map! Participants will use visual art and poetry to explore mapmaking as a means for telling their ...

1:00 PM - 1:55 PM

Activity Block 1: Dream Journeys (Collage) Workshops

Urban Stages

Bridges: A Pan-Afrikan ARTS Movement

Take this journey together, as we collaborate on a group collage intertwining our dreams, goals, and challenges. Using various textures, materials, quotes and ideas about community, create a bridge o...

2:00 PM - 2:55 PM

Activity Block 2: Creative Writing Workshop

Don Hooper

House of SpeakEasy

Get inspired by professional author Don Hooper in this workshop sponsored by House of SpeakEasy. Hear more about his creative journey and get started on a creative writing piece that you could submit...

2:00 PM - 2:55 PM

Activity Block 2: Creative Writing Workshop

Melissa Rivero

House of SpeakEasy

Get inspired by professional author Melissa Rivero in this workshop sponsored by House of SpeakEasy. Hear more about her creative journey and get started on a creative writing piece that you could su...

2:00 PM - 2:55 PM

Activity Block 2: Visual Arts Workshop

Join NYPL Picture Collection staff for a visual arts workshop using items from the Picture Collection. (Room 120, 1st Floor)

2:00 PM - 2:55 PM

Activity Block 2: Special Exhibitions Tour

Take a special tour of The Polonsky Exhibition of The New York Public Library's Treasures. (Gottesman Hall, 1st Floor)

3:05 PM - 3:55 PM

Teen Showcase

House of SpeakEasy

Listen to talented teen creators read their work. Featuring teen winners from NYPL's National Freedom to Read Writing Contest and participant in House of SpeakEasy's writing workshops at NYPL branche...

4:00 PM - 4:15 PM

Book Giveaway!

Bartos Forum, Ground Floor

About this event

  • Event lasts 4 hours

Calling all teens! Join us at the Library's flagship location on Wednesday, August 7, for workshops, art exhibits, giveaways, and an afternoon of teen creativity—all free!

  • Get inspired by Marley Dias, Teen Activist, Author, Producer, Creator of #1000BlackGirlBooks
  • Take free storytelling and art workshops
  • Connect with organizations that publish teens
  • Check out artwork by NYC teens
  • Hear from the winners of NYPL's Freedom to Read teen writing contest
  • Prepare your submission for this year's Teen Voices Magazine Contest for a chance to win $100 and get published!
  • Plus: Free giveaways including books, tote bags, and snacks


Introducing Guest Speaker Marley Dias!

About Marley:

Marley Dias is the purpose-driven founder of #1000BlackGirlBooks and author of Marley Dias Gets It Done: And So Can You! Her successful campaign to collect and donate children’s books that feature Black girls as the lead character garnered over 10 billion media impressions and created an international movement. At 11 years old, Marley launched the #1000BlackGirlBooks drive in 2015. The campaign eclipsed its original goal after her story went viral and picked up by media outlets around the world. Marley has collected over 14,000 books to-date.

In 2018, Marley was recognized by TIME as one of the 25 most influential teens and named as the youngest member of the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. She is also the Executive Producer of Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices on Netflix. The show, also hosted by Marley, features celebrities reading books that feature Black characters and authors.

Marley is currently a student at Harvard where she writes for the Harvard Crimson. She continues to serve as the National Education Association’s (NEA) National Ambassador for their Read Across America campaign. Additionally, Marley recently joined the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s National Racial Equity Initiative (NREI) Advisory Board. Marley also has been published in national publications like Rolling Stone and Elle, Essence Girls United and others.


Major support provided by the New York Life Foundation, the 2024 city-wide sponsor for the Summer Reading and Learning Programs.

Additional support is provided by Jane Lauder; The Rona Jaffe Foundation; New York Yankees Foundation; Montblanc; anonymous donors; and the continuing major support of the Andreas C. Dracopoulos Family Endowment for Young Audiences.

These programs and initiatives are part of the Library’s overall commitment to our branch patrons and education programs, led by the Merryl and James Tisch Director of Branch Libraries and Education. Major support for educational programming is provided by Merryl H. and James S. Tisch.

Illustrations by Jing Wei.

Summer at the Library for Teens

Go on a journey of discovery this summer! Explore expanded and enhanced Teen Centers at a library branch near you, enter our contest to contribute to Teen Voices magazine, and get ready for the Teen Voices Festival! Plus, join us for author talks, arts and crafts, photography, zine-making, and much more. nypl.org/teensummer


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The New York Public Library

The New York Public Library is a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With 92 locations—including research and branch libraries—throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars, and has seen record numbers of attendance and circulation in recent years. The New York Public Library serves more than 18 million patrons who come through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at nypl.org. To offer this wide array of free programming, The New York Public Library relies on both public and private funding. Learn more about how to support the Library: nypl.org/support