A group of teens posing in a room with artwork displayed in the background.

Teen Voices at NYPL

At the Library, we believe that what teens have to say matters. Through our free programs and events, our dedicated Teen Centers, and the opportunities we offer to have your work published, we provide an array of ways for you to make your voice heard. Discover all the amazing things teens are doing at libraries and in our communities! 

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Read Issue 5 of 'Teen Voices' Magazine

As part of our National Teen Art Contest, we asked teens across the U.S. to contribute to the conversation about book bans and censorship by creating original artwork. The winning entries are published in the latest issue of Teen Voices!

Read Issue 5
Cover of 'Teen Voices' Magazine Issue 5 on a pale yellow background.

Read Issue 4 of 'Teen Voices' Magazine

For our fourth issue of Teen Voices, we asked teens to tell us about an important journey, real or metaphorical, through art and writing. Read Issue 4 online now.

Read Issue 4
Cover of Teen Voices Issue 4 on a light blue background.

Read Issue 3 of 'Teen Voices' Magazine, Our Special Freedom to Read Edition

As part of our National Teen Writing Contest, we asked teens across the country to tell us why the freedom to read is important to them, and published the winning entries in a special Freedom to Read issue of Teen Voices! Meet the contest winners and read Issue 3 now.

Read Issue 3
Freedom to Read issue of Teen Voices Magazine displayed on a muted teal green background.

Read Issue 2 of 'Teen Voices' Magazine

Published in November 2023, our second issue of Teen Voices marks the 50th anniversary of hip-hop and explores self-expression, personal style, and how art, music, and fashion shape who you are.

Read Issue 2
Cover and pages from Teen Voices Issue 2 displayed on a yellow background.

Read Issue 1 of 'Teen Voices' Magazine

For our first issue of Teen Voices, we asked teens to tell us about your community, what you care about, and how you make waves for positive change.

Read Issue 1
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Libraries: A Home Away from Home

See art and read writing from Teen Civics Ambassadors reflecting on the libraries they call home.

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A group of Teen Civics Ambassadors holding up their arms and smiling for the camera.

College & Career Advice for Teens, by Teens!

Teens enrolled in NYPL’s Intensive College and Career Access Network (ICCAN) share their advice for preparing for college and careers after high school.

Read
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First Person: Communities Have Flourished With Libraries. It’s Time to Stop Stunting Our Growth.

What does the Library offer to communities, and why does it matter? Hear from NYPL Teen Civics Ambassador Ruiyu Tang why he finds libraries valuable.

Read
Teen Civics Ambassador Ruiyu Tang leads an origami-making program at Chatham Square Library.

Announcing the Winners of Our Frankenstein Short Story Contest!

In early 2024, to tie in with the Fate of Frankenstein display in the Polonsky Exhibition of the New York Public Library's Treasures, NYPL launched a special contest inviting teens to submit their original writing and art inspired by Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Read the 10 winning entries in a just-released digital anthology!

Art by Yoojung Shin.

Learn More
Illustration by Yoojung Shin.

More from Teens

Hear from teens across different NYPL branches and communities what they’ve been up to—from preparing for college and careers, to mentoring younger kids and making art.

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New! Explore Our Enhanced Teen Centers

Hang out, get creative, and much more at the Library's newly expanded and enhanced Teen Centers. These welcoming spaces in select locations across the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island have been created just for teens and are open for you to collaborate, make new friends, read, and enjoy all the Library has to offer. From video equipment to gaming consoles to art supplies—everything is free to use!

Find a Teen Center Near You
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More from NYPL for Teens

Discover free one-on-one homework help, college and career counseling, volunteer opportunities, book recommendations, free resources, and more that the Library has to offer teens.

Learn More
Teal and white text on a blue background reads: Just for Teens.

Podcast: 'A Teen Story'

Created by teens, for teens, A Teen Story is a podcast discussing a wide variety of topics, from dealing with ADHD to our favorite (and least favorite) video games, civic literacy, and more!

Learn More
A Teen Story: A Teen Center Podcast @ SNFL.

Portal Magazine

Portal is a magazine written, designed, and edited by NYPL’s Teen Reading Ambassadors. Aimed at an audience of kids ages 6–12, Portal contains stories and features, fun facts, comics, activities, and much more specially created by the Teen Reading Ambassadors for each of our issues.

Collage featuring the cover of four issues of NYPL's Portal magazine for kids.

Thank You to Our Supporters

These programs and initiatives are part of the Library’s Tisch Youth Education Programs, led by the Merryl and James Tisch Director of Branch Libraries and Education. Major support for educational programming is provided by Merryl H. and James S. Tisch.

Major support for children's and young adult programming is provided by the Andreas C. Dracopoulos Family Endowment for Young Audiences. 

Lead support for Teens 360º is provided by the City of New York. Additional support is provided by Arthur W. Koenig, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, the Best Buy Foundation and the Joly Family Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Evan R. Chesler, Google.org, and Michael ByungJu Kim and the MBK Educational Foundation.

College & Career Pathways has been made possible thanks to the generous support of The Helen Gurley Brown Foundation.

The Teen Civics Ambassadors program is made possible by the generous support of The Gottesman Fund.