For children and young adults, librarians have always been trusted sources to turn to in crises of all sizes. The Parental Rights Movement and other groups organized to challenge books have recently raised the risks of these crucial conversations for librarians, a chilling effect that can leave young people without crucial support. This workshop, led by a creator of child-focused books about common childhood traumas, practices the use of art-making and open-ended questions as a way to communicate with and compassionately serve young readers without 1) saying too much, 2) clamming up, or 3) undermining deeply held beliefs of the child's own family and community.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion, a participant will be able to respond to a child in need with appropriateness, confidence, and compassion.
Upon completion, a participant will know how to use collage and art-making to create opportunities for the child to explore their questions as well as their knowledge and lived experience.
Upon completion, a participant will be grounded in their own childhood sense of what worked (and didn't) when they needed support from an adult for coping with tough topics.
Upon completion, a participant will have a new network of peers with whom they shared this training and from whom they can seek advice in the future.
Upon completion, a participant will have practiced collage techniques that can create a sense of being with a problem, rather than overwhelmed by it, and feeling centered and safe.
