I am My Brother's Keeper (MBK), Peer Advocacy at LA County Library

MBK at LA County Library has been a transformational program for everyone involved, particularly the young adults that are hired as Peer Advocates to work at our libraries where they gain valuable soft-skills and work experience. We’ve had incredible highs as well as the inevitable frustrations and challenges of managing a grant-funded program where we hire young adults that have little to no work experience. In this interactive session we'll talk candidly about the obstacles of working with young adults with lived experience that did not have the same supports or opportunities as their peers. How as Supervisors, we had to revisit the ways in which we interacted with and managed our Peer Advocates. We will talk about our triumphs and heartbreaks and we'll share how the program opened the door to have more candid discussions about DEIA and how to best serve young people in our communities. During this session, we will also work together to plan your own Peer Advocate program using the provided template.