A “Zombie Apocalypse” will take over the Mancos Public Library later this week.
And teens are invited to stop by and practice emergency preparedness and survival skills during the event on March 8 and 9. Attendees will learn and practice a range of skills, from water filtration to using a compass for navigation, according to Jenni Kitchen, the library’s young-adult services coordinator.
Kitchen holds the apocalypse as part of Teen Tech Week, a nationally celebrated event promoted by the Young Adult Library Services Association, in which libraries highlight digital resources and services to help young people succeed.
However, Kitchen takes a broader look at the week’s purpose. Feeling that teens already have a firm grasp on technological tools and resources, she uses Tech Week as a chance to teach a survival course, focusing on skills students may not get in school, she said.
On the first day, sessions will focus on preparation and subsistence, as teens create emergency plans and paracord bracelets, discuss fitness, make a zeer pot (a nonelectrical refrigerator) and learn about water filtration and distillation.
The second day, participants will focus on wilderness survival, navigation, compasses and battery usage.
“Zombie Apocalypse” will take place in the library’s Community Meeting Room from 4:30-8:30 p.m. on both days, with a 30-minute break between sessions. Teens ages 13 to 19 are invited to participate, and although the event is capped at 12 participants, a few walk-ins may be accepted in the case of no-shows.
Interested attendees can sign up at the library’s front desk.
ealvero@the-journal.com