•One of the first things we tried was to get kids that might not normally visit the library to come and check it out, (pun intended). We distributed kid activity worksheets in public places, (with their permission of course), like doctor's offices, restaurants, etc. The activity sheet came with a coupon for a prize that could only be redeemed at the library.

•Variety Shows - Summertime at the library is the perfect place to reach kids so we started tdi's C'side Variety Show! We found folktales from around the world that showed some positive value, (as opposed to "...and the moral is..." sort of thing) and acted them out for the kids. Then we encouraged the kids themselves to share their talents with us, stressing that everyone is good at something. It's amazing - we've had tumbling acts, dance demonstrations, flute concerts, and one of our most famous moments: a girl (okay, it was Megan G), a gargling Gershwin!

•Gun Safety Programs - As we mentioned before, back in 1999 when we first got organized, this was a priority with us. We worked with the City of Clearwater Police Department and hosted programs geared to inform both students and parents about the importance of gun safety. We even spoke at PTA meetings to get more parents to attend.

•Parent/Kid Workshops - We arranged and hosted programs to focus on improving communications between parents and teens, like "Connecting With Your Kids" and "Taking Control of Your Life". Ronald McDonald House in St. Petersburg - a facility that houses families when their children are at All Children's Hospital. When we have visited there we put on plays for the kids, made crafts, made meals for the families and our favorite part - doing housekeeping tasks so the parents can spend more time with their children.

•Child Care Facility Visits - we took our plays, (which we were now calling ValueTales), and performed them at after school child care facilities.

•Nursing Home visits - Hey, if the kids liked them maybe older adults would too. (Okay sometimes they didn't!)

•Shelter Visits - Once a month, tdi members visited a shelter and performed plays and made crafts with the children. We offered this program from 2001 to 2007 and many of us agreed that this was one of our most meaningful projects.

•One on Ones - our name for computer help. We started a program where we help Senior Citizens learn how to use the computer. For a while it was only available in the summer but now we offer it year round. In the beginning people would seriously thank us for changing their lives simply by opening up the world of email for them. Now, as computers become more common, we are helping people of all ages learn more about the internet as well as how to use our library databases.

•Homework Help - This is one of our most popular services and has been continuous since 2000 (provided we keep updating this site that means we've been doing homework help for 7 years so far!) tdi members provide this service in the library for elementary age students. We take over the youth area and spread out over tables and chairs and sometimes even the floor. The parents love it, the kids love it and honestly we do too. When kids we've been helping actually do better in school it really is a wonderful feeling for all of us.

•Spanish Table - Okay, the name sounds strange but we just ended up calling it that because so many people were squished around one table trying to learn Spanish! Yes, tdi has started teaching basic Spanish skills to kids, (and their parents!), using games and flashcards and already it's a big success.

•YA Conversion Project - And you thought Spanish Table was a strange name! tdi is based the Countryside Branch library and unlike larger libraries, we do not have a separate teen room - sigh. We found an area that Countryside staff has agreed to let us designate "Young Adult" and are working to move more mature youth fiction to a new location.

•Pinellas County Volunteer Fair - we were invited to participate by Pinellas Cares, an organization recognizing us as teens making a positive difference in their community.

•YWCA of Tampa Bay Humanitarian Award! We are so proud of this that the plaque hangs in the lobby of the library. It reads "For demonstrated leadership, commitment, & advocacy to the elimination of discrimination based on race, gender, disability, religion, or sexual orientation.", followed by "Presented to ...try denting it." they even got our name right, which not a lot of people do!

•One of TEN Gold Star Projects! This is amazing - an organization called Population connection found out about us from our website. They collected 239 "good ideas" from around the country and picked only 10 that had in common "the dedication and enthusiasm of the people involved - adults, teens, younger kids." We were the project picked for the category "Community Life", putting Clearwater right up there with other cities like Chicago, Boston, Atlanta, Seattle and Denver.

•YAR Grant - not a pirate - Youth as Resources! One of our members spent long hours filling out all the necessary forms and made a presentation to the board. The board felt that we were a valuable resource to our community and awarded us money to use for T-shirts with our logo. Okay...that sounds kinda selfish, but hey - we also used the money for gifts to the kids at the shelter, prizes for our homework kids, and even for lunches for the kids at the Ronald McDonald House. Besides, the T-shirts look EXCELLENT!