Teen Leadership Committee
Ela Area Public Library's Teen Leadership Committee (TLC) is a group of teens who are passionate about cultivating and improving library services for teens.
TLC members who meet regularly to discuss ideas and plan events and programs centered around making EAPL a teen-friendly space in our community. TLC members attend and lead teen library programs, work as volunteers for special projects, and act as library ambassadors in their community by spreading the word about library programs and events in their schools, clubs, and other social groups.
The Teen Leadership Committee application is currently closed for the 2025 term.
- Earn volunteer hours.
- Help create library programs.
- Help with picking out new books for the teen collection.
- Provide input for library decisions related to teens.
- Learn essential job skills like teamwork, effective communication, and more!
- Participation can be listed on job, scholarship, and college applications.
- Meet friends and have fun!
- Be in 6th - 12th grade.
- Commit to serving a 1-year term.
- Be willing to commit to a minimum of 7 TLC meetings per year.
- Keep an open mind and a great attitude when confronted with people, situations, and/or opinions that might be unfamiliar. The Ela Teen Leadership Committee aims to be an inclusive group of middle and high school students from Lake Zurich and its surrounding communities and includes folks who attend public, private, and/or home schools.
Community Volunteer Opportunities
Check out these volunteering opportunities in your community outside the library. Follow their guidelines and recommendations to ensure you receive your hours. Keep checking back for more.
- Ancient Oaks: Get your hands dirty and help keep Lake Zurich green. Learn More!
- Do Something: Tons of volunteer opportunities for every interest. Learn More!
- Heartland Animal Shelter: Decorate a two-pocket folder for new adopters to take home the paperwork they need for their new furry family member. Learn More!
- Lake County Haven: Join the Kind Words Campaign and send homeless women and children letters of hope and encouragement and create bagged lunches for those in need. Learn More!
- Lake Zurich Park District: Help with the local events you love right here in Lake Zurich. Learn More!
- Liberation Library: Decorate bookmarks for incarcerated teens to help encourage a love of reading. Learn More!
- Operation Gratitude: Make paracord bracelets or sew fleece hats and more for first responders and the troops. Learn More!
- United Way of Lake County: Write notes of encouragement, create bilingual flashcards, make positive message bookmarks, and so much more with the United Way of Lake County. Learn More!
- Zooniverse: Become a citizen scientist and help scientists in a variety of subjects with their research! Print out your own volunteer certificate. Learn More!