Libraries across the country are encouraging teens, parents, and educators to celebrate Teen Tech Week, a national initiative that takes place annually the second weekend of March aimed to ensure that teens are competent and ethical users of digital media.

The Brainerd Public Library has hosted events throughout the week starting on Monday, March 4 and going through the weekend. Today, teens were able to create their own stop motion animation. Teen Tech Week was founded in 2007 in order to encourage libraries to connect with the millions of teens that do not have access to a home computer. By celebrating the week, the Brainerd Public Library hopes to attract a wide variety of teenagers and increase teen technology literacy locally.

“Libraries act as a place where anyone can have access to anything regardless of income, and I think that’s really important in terms of providing programming for children and teens. It’s somewhere they can go to be creative and learn something new and feel comfortable doing that here,” said Jenna Pettit, a leader of Teen Tech Week activities at the library.

Teenagers are invited to stop by the Brainerd Public Library this week to participate in a QR code scavenger hunt that is going on at the library through Saturday.

By — Rachel Johnson

Lakeland News Lead Reporter