YORK COUNTY, Pa. — High school students in York County will go from book to billboard.
York County Libraries' Part of The Story program will host their yearly event on March 27. Justina Ireland, a young adult fiction writer, will lead a virtual workshop on her book, "Dread Nation". The novel is set during a zombie pandemic and focuses on teens creating social change after the Civil War.
After the discussion, the students will gather in small groups virtually to discuss what they've learned from the author, and then collaborate to craft a message that puts out a call of action to the community.
"The thing about young adult literature is that very often, it deals with situations that teens encounter or are experiencing themselves,” said Jennifer Johnson, teen services coordinator for York County Libraries.
The staff of Lamar Advertising Company will run a billboard creation class to help students create a billboard design that features their message.
The designs will be evaluated by a panel of judges that consists of two representatives from Lamar Advertising, Ireland and JJ Sheffer, the director of community programming for York County Economic Alliance.
The winner design will be displayed on billboards across the county.
Part of The Story is a companion program to Youth Empowerment Summit – an event that gathers high school students to learn about writing from a South Central Pennsylvania author. This author is then brought back for the Part of The Story program.
Part of The Story is a book-based program that allows students from ninth to 12th grade to collaborate to discuss real-life topics.
Johnson says she hopes students utilize this opportunity as a chance to connect with one another virtually.
Teens must register for the event by March 18. Each registrant will also receive a copy of "Dread Nation" to read before the event. The event is on March 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
If you want to register for the event, click here.
