Kitchen Chemistry reported in Omaha World Herald

BELLEVUE PUBLIC LIBRARY

Kids stir up learning, edible slime at 'Kitchen Chemistry'

By Lizzie Johnson / World-Herald staff writer

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Jaysie Lewis' two favorite colors are blue and hot pink.

So when it came time for the 11-year-old to pick a color for her slimy bowl of puffy paint, it was a tossup. After deliberating, she selected blue food coloring.

“It looks so cool,” Jaysie said, mixing the viscous substance with her hands, her fingers turning blue. “But I'm definitely not going to eat this.”

Puffy paint was just one hands-on activity Saturday at the Bellevue Public Library's “Kitchen Chemistry.''

Participants could also make edible slime, homemade root beer, Jell-O worms, elephant toothpaste and artwork. The event was for students in fifth through eighth grades and part of the library's summer reading program.

Tammy Henry, the children's librarian assistant “crazy enough to run this,” said the event took about a month to plan.

“Everything is edible,” Henry said. “But it might not all taste good. There was a day we tried all the recipes to make sure they would work.”

The event encouraged scientific curiosity and a hands-on approach for children who may be stuck between programs aimed at either older or younger students.

“I have a question,” Henry asked a group of students. “Why does the puffy paint expand in the microwave?”

The answer: baking powder.

Emily Mettlen's eyes widened as she absorbed the information. This was the first library-sponsored event for the 10-year-old.

“I think it's actually pretty cool,” Emily said. “You can actually turn basic science into making stuff. I like to bake, and I definitely like to eat. This combines both.”

Original article 

Pat Kelly Award

Bellevue Library's Youth Programs and Services wins Pat Kelly Award

Pat Kelly Award Handed Out at the Annual Drug Free Breakfast

Author: phil.davidson

 

The Mayor's Commission on Drug Education and Prevention is pleased to announce that the Bellevue Public Library Youth Programs and Services is this year’s winner of the Pat Kelly Award. This annual award was handed out at the annual Drug Free Breakfast hosted by the Drug Commission last Friday at the Bellevue Public Schools Lied Activity Center. Children’s Librarian’s Alice Boeckman, Tammy Henry and Teen Librarian Gordon Wyeth joined Library Director Lupe Mier in accepting the award. The Pat Kelly Award has been given out every year at this breakfast since 1990 to honor an organization or individual who has been instrumental in helping the youth of the Bellevue Community promote a drug free lifestyle or offering positive alternatives for our young people.

 

 

The Bellevue Public Library is widely known for its services to youth, especially because all are free of charge and participation doesn’t require a library card. This is a great service to all youth of the community. Some events for young readers included: baby through preschool weekly reading times, a volunteer program for young adults to help out at the library, puppet shows, pajama reading times and more. Alice Boeckman and Tammy Henry are also always willing to participate in community events that involve young children and reading. They often give away books or other prizes and work evenings and weekends. Their summer reading program sometimes has more than 6 events per week, involves family, community partners and hundreds of local youth. Tammy Henry successfully petitioned for a special grant last year to incorporate a new Legos at the Library program which involves both books and creativity for young builders. Creative projects are displayed at the library and online. Young adult programs include gamefests, activities, a teen advisory board to provide teens with more input and leadership opportunities, craft days and special celebrations for older youth including battles of the bands, dances and social events. These events are all drug and alcohol free and give youth a safe place to learn and grow outside of school and home. More than other places, the Bellevue Public Library has embraced technology, youth and online activities to enter the 21^st century in regards to offering information to the public.

 

Thousands of youth in the City of Bellevue have benefited from the Youth Programs and Service which are provided at the Bellevue Library and they have been a longtime friend of the Mayor’s Drug Commission. As part of the library’s service to the community, all the artwork from the Mayor's Commission on Drug Education and Prevention art contest is displayed at the library for the following month for members of the community to enjoy.

Alice Boeckman, Lupe Meir (library director), Tammy Henry, Mayor Rita Sanders, Gordon Wyant, Eulish Moore (Drug Commission Representative)