Durham library hosts STEM programs, business lab for teens

The Durham County Library will host a couple of series this summer for teen entrepreneurs and aspiring engineers and scientists.

The learning lab, which started June 19, will be held on June 26; July 10, 17, 24, 31; and Aug. 7. Teens are encouraged to bring thoughts, ideas and questions about developing a business to the lab and will have the opportunity to work on a business plan, the press release says. I'm told a teen could go to just one session or all of them.

Breeden is founder and director of eMerging Entrepreneurs, a nonprofit organization that provides career transition assistance, small business training and entrepreneurial developmental services to military and under-served minority communities. He is the recipient of the 2012 White House Champions of Change award and the 2013 Small Business Association Veteran Entrepreneurship Advocate of the Year award. 

And the Main Library also is hosting a series of science, technology, engineering and math programs for teens as well. The series began last week. Library staff started the program after noticing that few of the teens who regularly come to the library participate in organized, academic enrichment activities, often because of the cost. And many of them had little support at home between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., weekdays.

This year-round program seeks to provide real-life, hands-on projects that reinforce STEM topics while addressing the need for a nurturing and supportive out-of-school environment, a release said. The programs are part of the Teen Tech Learning Lab – Where Science and Imagination Collide!, an initiative funded in part by a grant from Duke Energy Foundation and aimed at providing teens and young adults with ongoing experiential learning opportunities in STEM-related fields.

Here's the schedule for upcoming programs: 

Call Placedia Nance at 919-560-0122 for more information about all of these programs.