WEBINAR

Unlocking Teen Potential: Lessons from ULC’s Creating Youth Opportunities Initiative

Join ULC for this culminating webinar celebrating the Creating Youth Opportunities initiative and the work of libraries that are expanding pathways for opportunity youth. This session will highlight lessons learned, key findings, and practical program ideas for libraries interested in deepening their own youth engagement strategies. 

ULC Senior Program Manager Katie Sullivan overviews key findings from the project’s new white paper and program evaluation. Then, Prince George's County Memorial Library System Area Director Heather Jackson discusses PGCMLS’s events and programs for opportunity youth including Therapy Through Art and Adulting 101. Lastly, Chicago Public Library Information Coordinator Alayna Arrington presents CPL’s Trauma-Informed Book Groups initiative.

Katie Sullivan

Senior Program Manager, Urban Libraries Council

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Katie Sullivan joined the Urban Libraries Council in 2022, where she manages a number of programs and initiatives focused on food justice, education, entrepreneurship, opportunity youth, and civic engagement. She came to ULC with experience in project management, program design, grant management, and public policy research and writing from several Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organizations. Most recently, Katie served as a program manager for the National Association of Counties, providing local government leaders with programming and best practices related to economic mobility, arts and culture, and equitable economic recovery. Katie received her B.A. with a double major in history and Hispanic studies from the College of William & Mary, and is currently working on her Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) with a concentration in community and economic development at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Alayna Arrington

Information Coordinator, Chicago Public Library

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Alayna currently serves as Information Coordinator, representing the Chicago Public Library's Teen Services Department and engaging in outreach efforts to promote Library programs and services. She shares a passion for advocacy and action around justice, equity, and inclusion. Alayna joined Chicago Public Library in March 2024, and she enjoys working closely with a range of staff across the CPL system and community partners in the City of Chicago.

Heather Jackson

Area Director, Prince George's County Memorial Library System

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Heather Jackson has been the Area Director for the West branches of PGCMLS since 2016. During her tenure she created a network of three pop-up libraries cohoused in local community agencies in book deserts and launched Biblio Consulta, the PGCMLS call center for Spanish-speaking customers. She has served on numerous community agency steering and advisory committees focusing on immigrant, refugee and asylee populations in Prince George's County. She was a Fellow in the Maryland New Leaders Council in 2018 and frequently serves as a guest lecturer, presenter, and trainer on topics ranging from youth services and literature to community outreach. She was named as 2022's Outstanding Library Employee by Citizens for Maryland Libraries.