Teens to mentor youngsters at Bangor Public Library

BANGOR – Dodgeball was a huge draw, and the summer Drama Film Club proved popular, too, but Charlie Liu wants even more for the youths who come to the Powerhouse Teen Center.

“One of our primary focuses is on community involvement,” explained the director of operations for the teen center. “That is why we are developing a mentoring program to help Bangor Public Library with their Community Literacy project for fourth- and fifth-graders.”

The library is targeting fourth- and fifth-graders because they aren’t using the library as much as they did in the ’80s and ’90s, explained Barbara McDade, library director.

“Building a community of lifelong readers requires early and frequent exposure to books and information,” she said recently.

The flier for the mentor program reads: “Attention 4th & 5th Graders. Need help with homework? Need help with reading? Teen mentors would like to help!”

Members of the Powerhouse Teen Center will be at the library 3:30-5 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays starting Tuesday, Oct. 11, in the children’s department at Bangor Public Library.

The teen mentors already have taken training put on by center staff and volunteers. They will be supervised directly by library staff or staff from the center during each help session.

“Our interest in this project is the development of youths who would benefit from our collaborative services and in making this community a stronger, healthier place for children,” Liu said.

The center is operated by the Salvation Army in affiliation with the Boys and Girls Club of America. It is open to youths age 13-18, 6-9 p.m. Fridays at the Salvation Army, 65 South Park St. Facilities include an art room, a game room and a gym.

The center is offering Fall Clean Up 2005 as a fundraiser for its activities. Those interested in having one of the teens do chores such as leaf raking or driveway sweeping may contact Charlie Liu at 941-2990. The cost is $25 for a two-hour cleanup of a quarter-acre lot.

McDade said she was pleased to have the mentoring program for fourth- and fifth-graders available at the library.

“The library hopes that in providing a place for mentoring and the resources to help with schoolwork, we will also learn more about what this age group needs the library to provide to keep students on the path of lifelong learning,” she said.

The library received a Maine Reads Community Literacy Project Grant, a new literacy initiative designed to strengthen the interaction of libraries and their communities. The effort was launched by first lady Karen Baldacci.