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Teens 'Coming up taller'
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| Elsie S. Hogan Library Programming Coordinator Gary Clement, Mayra Guzman, and Cody Sunderland at Daniel Webster statue in D.C. on Tuesday. (Photo courtesy/Gayle Berry/TAG Magazine) |
TAG Magazine in D.C. to accept national arts and humanities award
By Carol Broeder/Arizona range news
By the time this newspaper hits the stands, two local teens will be in Washington, D.C., accepting a prestigious national award on behalf of Willcox's library teen program.
The Elsie S. Hogan Library formed TAG, which stands for Teen Advisory Group, four years ago through a grass roots effort.
The TAG members came up with the idea to create, write, produce, and manage their own magazine, which has now received national, regional, state, and local recognition, according to the city's Library Director Tom Miner.
In January, the Arizona State Library contacted Miner, saying they wanted to submit the Willcox teen program as Arizona's nominee for a top-level national award.
Known as the President's Committee for the Arts and Humanities' "Coming Up Taller Award," it honors programs that offer exceptional learning experiences in the arts and the humanities, and that have a tangible effect on the lives of young people as evidenced through improved academic scores, enhanced life skills, and positive relationships with peers and adults.
It has co-sponsors like the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
At the end of April, Miner was notified that TAG became a semi-finalist in the running for the 2009 Coming Up Taller Award.
"We are highly impressed with the successful work your organization and the other semifinalists have accomplished in youth after-school and out-of-school arts and humanities learning," said the April 29 notification letter.
It was narrowed down to 50 from more than 420 nomination packages.
That selection "distinguishes it as one of the top arts- and humanities-based programs in the country, serving youth beyond the school hours," the letter said.
A national jury composed of field experts then reviewed the nominations.
"The TAG Teen Program is extremely honored to be a recipient of the 2009 Coming Up Taller Awards," said Library Programming Coordinator Gary Clement.
"I've seen students mature socially and develop skills in dealing with people, making them more group-oriented," he said.
"I see a great deal of teamwork and self-direction among the kids - by working in publishing they learn a valuable lesson...just how 'unforgiving' deadlines can be," said Clement, who accompanied teen representatives Mayra Guzman and Cody Sunderland to Washington Monday.
TAG is one of 15 youth arts and humanities programs to receive this prestigious award at this evening's White House ceremony, which Clement and Guzman will attend.
"I think how amazing this is will really sink in when I'm standing in the White House waiting for the award ceremony," Guzman said from Washington Tuesday morning.
The library's teen program is expected to receive a plaque and a check for $10,000, to be presented by First Lady Michelle Obama herself.
While in Washington, Clement, Guzman, and Sunderland were scheduled for a guided tour of the IMLS Tuesday morning, followed by the "Coming Up Taller Gala Reception" at the Kennedy Center's Terrace Gallery that evening.
They also plan a visit with Rep. Gabrielle Giffords at noon tomorrow.
A Washington press release announcing the award says that while the Friends of the Library "raised funds and supported library and literacy programs for 28 years, the nascent teen program received a boost when the teens in (TAG) decided they wanted to publish a general interest magazine for teens and distribute it free of charge to every student in grades seven through 12 in Willcox and the surrounding areas."
"TAG teens own their magazine in every aspect: creative and technical; meeting deadlines and managing contributors; editing, proofreading and distribution; selling advertising, paying the bills and making intelligent tradeoffs."
"The most recent issue of TAG - during TAG's fourth year - has grown by over 50 percent to 40 full-color pages with almost three times as many contributors as the first issue. TAG fosters long-term commitment by teens, many of whom continue in the program from year to year, growing in confidence and responsibility from contributor to editor to senior editor," the announcement said.
"In the process of publishing three issues each year, these teens not only explore their creativity in art and writing, but learn self-confidence, gain interpersonal skills, and are empowered to strike out on future paths that they would have considered only dreams before."
Margo Lion, co-chairman of the Presidents Committee on the Arts and Humanities said,
"This year's Coming Up Taller Awardees exemplify how arts and humanities programs outside of the school setting can impact on the lives of our young people."
"By exciting imaginations and providing opportunities for self-expression through the disciplines of theater, dance, music and literature, these exceptional projects offer their participants windows on possibility and a belief in a more positive future," she said.
By Carol Broeder/Arizona range news
By the time this newspaper hits the stands, two local teens will be in Washington, D.C., accepting a prestigious national award on behalf of Willcox's library teen program.
The Elsie S. Hogan Library formed TAG, which stands for Teen Advisory Group, four years ago through a grass roots effort.
The TAG members came up with the idea to create, write, produce, and manage their own magazine, which has now received national, regional, state, and local recognition, according to the city's Library Director Tom Miner.
In January, the Arizona State Library contacted Miner, saying they wanted to submit the Willcox teen program as Arizona's nominee for a top-level national award.
Known as the President's Committee for the Arts and Humanities' "Coming Up Taller Award," it honors programs that offer exceptional learning experiences in the arts and the humanities, and that have a tangible effect on the lives of young people as evidenced through improved academic scores, enhanced life skills, and positive relationships with peers and adults.
It has co-sponsors like the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
At the end of April, Miner was notified that TAG became a semi-finalist in the running for the 2009 Coming Up Taller Award.
"We are highly impressed with the successful work your organization and the other semifinalists have accomplished in youth after-school and out-of-school arts and humanities learning," said the April 29 notification letter.
It was narrowed down to 50 from more than 420 nomination packages.
That selection "distinguishes it as one of the top arts- and humanities-based programs in the country, serving youth beyond the school hours," the letter said.
A national jury composed of field experts then reviewed the nominations.
"The TAG Teen Program is extremely honored to be a recipient of the 2009 Coming Up Taller Awards," said Library Programming Coordinator Gary Clement.
"I've seen students mature socially and develop skills in dealing with people, making them more group-oriented," he said.
"I see a great deal of teamwork and self-direction among the kids - by working in publishing they learn a valuable lesson...just how 'unforgiving' deadlines can be," said Clement, who accompanied teen representatives Mayra Guzman and Cody Sunderland to Washington Monday.
TAG is one of 15 youth arts and humanities programs to receive this prestigious award at this evening's White House ceremony, which Clement and Guzman will attend.
"I think how amazing this is will really sink in when I'm standing in the White House waiting for the award ceremony," Guzman said from Washington Tuesday morning.
The library's teen program is expected to receive a plaque and a check for $10,000, to be presented by First Lady Michelle Obama herself.
While in Washington, Clement, Guzman, and Sunderland were scheduled for a guided tour of the IMLS Tuesday morning, followed by the "Coming Up Taller Gala Reception" at the Kennedy Center's Terrace Gallery that evening.
They also plan a visit with Rep. Gabrielle Giffords at noon tomorrow.
A Washington press release announcing the award says that while the Friends of the Library "raised funds and supported library and literacy programs for 28 years, the nascent teen program received a boost when the teens in (TAG) decided they wanted to publish a general interest magazine for teens and distribute it free of charge to every student in grades seven through 12 in Willcox and the surrounding areas."
"TAG teens own their magazine in every aspect: creative and technical; meeting deadlines and managing contributors; editing, proofreading and distribution; selling advertising, paying the bills and making intelligent tradeoffs."
"The most recent issue of TAG - during TAG's fourth year - has grown by over 50 percent to 40 full-color pages with almost three times as many contributors as the first issue. TAG fosters long-term commitment by teens, many of whom continue in the program from year to year, growing in confidence and responsibility from contributor to editor to senior editor," the announcement said.
"In the process of publishing three issues each year, these teens not only explore their creativity in art and writing, but learn self-confidence, gain interpersonal skills, and are empowered to strike out on future paths that they would have considered only dreams before."
Margo Lion, co-chairman of the Presidents Committee on the Arts and Humanities said,
"This year's Coming Up Taller Awardees exemplify how arts and humanities programs outside of the school setting can impact on the lives of our young people."
"By exciting imaginations and providing opportunities for self-expression through the disciplines of theater, dance, music and literature, these exceptional projects offer their participants windows on possibility and a belief in a more positive future," she said.
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