GAPS Libraries Resource Update

Corvallis Kaleidoscope is dynamic festival showcasing STEAM research, innovation, and creative endeavors from Oregon State and other local organizations around Corvallis. The event is an opportunity for STEAM researchers, creators, educators to share their work with their community in engaging and creative ways. By partnering with the Grand Kinetic Challenge and Maxtivity, the Kaleidoscope highlights the intersection of STEM and the arts. This event is free and open to the public.

Saturday, July 18th

12pm to 6pm

Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts (PRAx)

Hip Hop Public Health offers a collection of K–5 resources designed to help educators introduce and reinforce concepts of healthy relationships, personal autonomy, and boundaries in age-appropriate and meaningful ways. The HHPH Toolkit includes ready-to-use lesson plans, engaging slide decks, printable handouts, and materials to share with families.

Your students' voices and creativity can help improve youth mental health through the “Create Resilience" Youth Art Contest for Suicide Prevention. Oregon youth ages 13 - 21 years old are invited to share their ideas on why and how we can improve youth mental health. Original submissions can be: an essay, poem, story, play, song, artwork, photograph, dance, and more. Be creative! AI generated work is not accepted. One entry per person. Winners will be selected by a panel of judges.

NW Cyber Camp’s FREE weeklong camps for Oregon high school youth will be offered in Ashland, Eugene, Oregon City and Portland. These are day camps on a college campus, with lunch provided. Students will need contact information for a parent/guardian and the email address of the STEM teacher who will recommend them. More information and application available here.

STEM Academy offers a variety of camps to engage K-12 youth in programs designed to increase college attendance and participation in the STEM fields. Registration is open for 2026! See program offerings and tuition assistance information here.

Tuesday, May 5 to Saturday, May 9

Main Library

Take a screen break this week with Albany Public Library! They'll have a variety of events, activities, and take-home materials to help with disconnecting from devices - at least for a little bit!

• Kids and Teens can pick up a Screen Free Kit from the Children's Room or Teen Desk, respectively.
• Button makers will be available for anyone to come and design their own pins!
• Join APL Tuesday-Friday for a different STEM activity every day in the children's room. This is a drop-in program, so come anytime between 4-5 p.m. Intended for kids of all ages.
• Adults are invited to Adult Art Night on Tuesday, May 5, at 5 p.m. to try beginner embroidery.
• Teens can drop by the Teen Space on Friday from 4-5:30 p.m. to create a tiny zen garden with sand, miniature rakes, stamps, and other pieces!
• All ages are welcome on Saturday, May 9, from 2-4 p.m. for the monthly Chess Club meeting.

In this first-person account, Tim Eisenlohr describes coming of age in East Berlin, where public life was shaped by fear and private dissent carried real risks. As a teenager, Eisenlohr participated in the underground environmental movement that gave access to uncensored information. In a Stasi raid on the group in 1987, Eisenlohr and others were arrested and interrogated for hours, confronting the realities of a system that promised rights on paper but denied them in practice. His story captures the small acts of resistance that helped build momentum for broader change across eastern Europe. This video offers a look at daily life behind the Berlin Wall, and the role of ordinary citizens in challenging state power. Includes lesson plan.

ODE has announced a variety of youth leadership opportunities for the 2026-27 academic year, and is seeking help circulating this information to encourage youth who are interested in elevating their perspectives to inform state education policy and initiatives.

The youth leadership positions below are currently accepting applications:

• ODE’s Youth Advisory Council (YAC) - Apply by: May 31, 2026
• The State Board of Education (SBE) and ODE's Ongoing Rules Community Advisory (ORCA) - Apply by: June 19, 2026
• Career & Technical Education (CTE) Student Advisory Council - Apply by: May 1, 2026
• Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander Student Success Advisory Group - Apply by: May 1, 2026
• African American / Black Student Success Advisory Committee - Apply by: May 15, 2026
• LGBTQ2SIA+ Student Success Advisory Group - Apply by: June 30, 2026

View the complete list of youth leadership opportunities and access applications here. Youth may apply for multiple opportunities; there is no application limit.

Substance use and suicide prevention in schools are closely linked, with data from the 2024 Student Health Survey indicating that substance use rates were more than twice as high among youth who reported experiencing suicidal thoughts. This tool clarifies the relationship between Suicide Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention policy and plans, and Substance Use Prevention and Intervention plans, and outlines overlapping requirements and best practices that support both.

To celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary, the University of Oregon’s Museum of Natural and Cultural History has opened a new exhibit that highlights cultures that have impacted the United States. It will showcase rarely seen artifacts from the museum's collections, giving visitors a unique look at the diverse histories of the land that makes up the United States. Read more from KLCC here, and visit the museum website here.

The Oregon Department of Education is accepting applications for the 2026 Physical Education Instructional Materials Evaluation Committee. Teachers, curriculum specialists, or other experienced professionals with expertise in Physical Education for grades K-12 are encouraged to apply. The application form details what committee member participation will require during this summer’s evaluation. Those selected to participate will receive professional development and an honorarium for their work. Applications are open through May 15th, 2026.

GAPS staff and students have access to the following Spanish-language research resources:

• Informe Académico - Una coleccion de revistas hispanicas con textos completos.
• aulaPlaneta Banco de contenidos

Libro.fm offers FREE audiobooks to educators, and this month's selections are here.

ELEMENTARY RESOURCES | SECONDARY RESOURCES