CATS is coming to Colorado Springs. . . .

The 2024 Children and Teen Services (CATS) Annual Workshop will take place on Monday, March 11th from 10am to 4pm in Colorado Springs at Pikes Peak Library District’s Library 21c.

The CATS Workshop Planning Committee has been hard at work all winter putting together a fantastic program for the Colorado library community. This year’s workshop includes two keynote sessions; the first featuring Partners for Children’s Mental Health and the second provided by young adult alumni from the Colorado Youth Congress.

Based on your feedback from last year’s workshop, there will be even more breakout presentations from your peers around the state that will offer us opportunities to learn more about serving Colorado’s children, tweens, teens, and their families and caregivers. The 2024 agenda includes dynamic sessions about:

• Early literacy Play Cafes inclusive of informal caregivers as well as parents
• Social-emotional learning through picture books
• Shaking up your program planning from storytimes to video gaming
• Exciting partnership strategies for connecting your library to your local schools
• Practical advice for working with 9-12 year olds
• Co-visioning the future of teen services

Also based on your 2023 feedback, a hot lunch will be provided by the Springs Rescue Mission and an assortment of organizations will be on hand for a pop-up Exhibit Hall experience during lunchtime. Those who are able to stay through the last keynote today will have a chance to participate on behalf of their libraries in a drawing for one of two Growing Readers Together Early Literacy Outreach Kits from the Colorado State Library.

Scholarship and Registration Information

Scholarships for this year’s workshop are still available! CATS is extending the deadline to apply for scholarships till Thursday, February 29th. (The Planning Committee would like you to know that if you tried to apply for a scholarship earlier and encountered an error, those technical issues have been resolved!)

Visit the event website by Monday, March 4th for a complete description of all breakout sessions and access to the general registration form!

If you already registered or just want to support this year’s CATS Workshop, please share about the event on any of your social media platforms. You can use the featured image above and the pre-written text below. Or create your own post to share your excitement about this event with those in your network.

“Where will you be Monday, March 11? Hopefully at the CATS Workshop! CAL’s Children & Teen Services (CATS) Interest Group is hosting a full day workshop with keynote speakers and youth focused break-out sessions. Register by March 4th at https://cal-webs.org/meetinginfo.php?id=486&ts=1708638715”

This project was made possible in part by the Colorado State Library and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.