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Teens display fashions

Teens show off back-to-school fashions at Library show

Teen participate in a back-to-school fashion show at Grissom Library on Aug. 30, 2011.

Teens who participated in the Grissom Back 2 School Fashion Show.

Seven teens walked the “runway,” displaying their sense of style as well as their modeling and crafting skills, while four judges furiously jotted notes and cameras flashed. It was not a typical day at the Virgil I. Grissom Library on Aug. 30, as the meeting room was host to the Grissom Back 2 School Fashion Show.

The teens planned and implemented the fashion show themselves, as one of the first programs of the newly active Teen Advisory Committee. Judges choose winners for Best Outfit and Best "Green" Accessory, and audience members chose the People's Choice winner. Winners received gift certificates from local retailers. Outfits were required to conform to school dress codes and include a "green" element made from reused or recycled material.

The Teen Advisory Committee is a way for teens ages 12-18 to become more active in the Library and to provide their input on programming and collections, said Jessica Hartley, the Library’s family and youth services librarian.

About 15 teens are part of the group that meets monthly, and others are encouraged to participate. Teens get community service credit and may attend the meetings as visitors to get an idea of what the group is like before making any commitments, Hartley said.

“It’s all about them and their collaboration,” Hartley said. “It’s up to them, not the staff, to make decisions.”

For more information about the Teen Advisory Committee and upcoming programs, please call Grissom Library at 757-369-3190.

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