Fort Worth Teens Build Community at DIY Crafting Program

The Fort Worth Public Library's Teen DIY craft program is helping local youth build skills and find community.

The city published a blog post about the program this week. Teen DIY is just one of the programs aimed at teens offered by the Fort Worth Public Library system.

Activities include gaming, anime, trivia, sewing, and yarn portraits.

Youth librarian Megan Gibbs works on her own crafts alongside the participants. Not only goes she get to know them, but her involvement helps keep the program on track.

"I quit trying to be so by-the-book with them," Gibbs said. "It's like fighting an uphill battle. I give them a breakdown of what we're going to do and make sure to give them a quick nudge if things stray off."

The crafts might change every week, but the idea is to give young people a consistent space to build self-esteem, social skills, and a true sense of community.

"One teen told me she doesn't have many friends, but when she's here, she feels like she fits," said Gibbs.

According to the post, the teens find out about the program through flyers posted around the library, encouragement from parents, or an invitation from a friend.

"My mom made me come to this, and then I realized, 'Oh no. I actually like this,'" said one teen.

Teen DIY is just one of the library's Freemium lineup of programs, resources, and services. Visit the library's website to see all of its teen and other community programming.