(PITTSBURGH)—City of Pittsburgh Officer David Shifren of Zone 4 is the 2015 Advocate of the Year and the Teen Alternative Homecoming Planning Committee was named 2015 Teen Advocate of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. The awardees were honored by the Library’s Board of Trustees during its annual public meeting. The general public and library staff nominates outstanding and deserving community members who demonstrate a commitment to further library services.
Officer Shifren started a chess club at CLP-Hazelwood, where he teaches chess (and by extension, critical thinking and problem solving skills) to kids and teens. “The program has become a ‘staple of afterschool programming at Hazelwood, said Mary Ann McHarg, Library Services Manager for CLP–Hazelwood. In addition to the chess program, Officer Shifren is an advocate in the community, encouraging families to bring their children to the library during his regular patrols.
The Teen Alternative Homecoming Planning Committee “fully embraced the mission of providing a fun, engaging community experience centered around books and learning” to earn the Library’s Teen Advocate Award. The committee shared more than 60 hours of their time in planning meetings, preparing the event space, brainstorming activities, assembling programs, selling tickets and distributing promotional materials. Their work attracted 279 teens from all over Pittsburgh to the 2015 Alternative Homecoming. The Alternative Homecoming Teen Planning Committee included Maya Best, Kyra Bingham, TaeAjah Cannon, Ana Carballido-Dosal, Leah DeFlitch, Jayne Juffe. Sophia Kachur, Mae Knight, Katina Motta, Kendal Nasiadka, Paige Pegher, Gabriele Spokas, and Oliver Sterling-Angus.
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