Participants in this program are young adults in grades 7-12 who perform for preschool and elementary age children and their families. Members meet weekly to develop original productions for children that dramatize a variety of stories from both current and classic picture books, fairy tales and poetry collections.
Teens meet for the purpose of encouraging younger children to get excited about reading.
Together they explore children's literature and then become fully involved in the creative process of bringing selected stories to life on the stage. Members of the award committee cited teen involvement in the library, the development of positive teen role models for children and the broad selection of literature featured as being among the high points of the program. The award is made possible through an annual grant from the Econo-Clad Books Company, a division of the American Companies.