teens with giant scissors cutting a ribbon by a painted mural

Future Ready Teens

Teens Leading Change (TLC)

Make a Difference in the Community With Your Library

Join Teens Leading Change for the opportunity to develop and participate in a civic action project and implement positive change in your community.

Platt Branch teen volunteers

Civic Action Projects

Explore our current and past projects. Get inspired, join, or even start a project of your own!

It looks great on a resume, but that's not all!

What is Teens Leading Change?

39

Completed Projects

50

Branches Participating

550

Teen Participants

1270

Teen Volunteers

Something For Everyone

10 Reasons to Join TLC

For Teens

  • Receive volunteer credit & community service hours
  • Learn valuable leadership skills such as collaboration, problem solving, project management, and technical and digital literacy
  • Gain knowledge about the library, local government, and democracy in action
  • Have an opportunity to receive a TLC Library Leadership Award
  • Make new friends and have fun!

For Parents

  • Teens can learn to unleash their limitless potential, boldly pursue their ideas, contribute to their communities, and have fun!
  • TLC provides teens with valuable life skills, including critical thinking, creative collaboration, and project management
  • The TLC initiative helps teens build confidence and cultivate core leadership values that guide them through the program

For Communities

  • The dynamic TLC program is designed to encourage teens to engage intentionally with their local communities, develop meaningful relationships, and deepen their understanding of civic responsibility
  • Each civic action project is developed by working closely with our community partners and tailored to meet the needs of the specific community
group of teens with a painted bench

Apply to Join

We appreciate your interest in TLC! The current cycle has ended, but don't worry. We'll keep you informed when the next cycle starts this Fall.

To participate in TLC,  join your local library’s Teen Council, where you’ll have the opportunity to develop and participate in a civic action project and implement positive change in your community. Projects form in September, but you may join anytime.

—Lorena V. - YA Librarian, Cypress Park Branch

"You can lead the team, and manage the project from start to finish. Or if you are more of a team player, that helps too."

—Ingrid H. - TLC Graduate

"I wanted to do more environmentalism and work with that, but I didn't have an outlet or any kind of funding or team to do something."

—Danica S., Young Adult Librarian

"It looks great on a resume."

  • Environmental Stability - Pico Union Branch
  • Cultural Diversity Through Art - Platt Branch
  • Stop Gentrification in Chinatown - Chinatown Branch
  • Financial Literacy - Northridge Branch
  • Wallet Wisdom - Palms-Ranch Branch
  • This is West L.A. - West Los Angeles Regional Branch
  • Effects of Social Media - Playa Vista/Palms-Ranch Park
  • Environmental Preservation - Platt Branch
  • Urban Gardening - Studio City Branch
  • Working Towards Zero-Waste - Palisades Branch
  • Tech for Seniors - Westwood Branch
  • Pacoima Mural - Pacoima Branch
Library Foundation of Los Angeles logo

This program is made possible with support from the Library Foundation of Los Angeles, the Lenore S. and Bernard A. Greenberg Fund, the Duttenhaver Foundation, the Dwight Stuart Youth Fund, and the Andrew Carnegie Foundation.