VolunTEEN

Prince George's County students in grades 6–12 can earn Student Service Learning (SSL) hours by writing book reviews through our VolunTEEN program.

Participants can earn up to 6 service hours per school year. Each review is worth 1 hour. Logging reading or earning badges through other seasonal challenges does not count for SSL hours—you must submit a written review to receive credit.

• Books must be written for a teen audience—middle grade or young adult titles only.
• Plagiarized or AI-generated reviews will not be accepted.
• Each review must be at least 150 words long.
• Reviews should be thoughtful and well-written to receive full credit.

Sign up today for the VolunTEEN program!

Download the Beanstack app! Available for iOS and Android.

Check out other volunteer opportunities for teens.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Beanstack?

Simple! It’s the world’s easiest way to keep track of all the books you read. When you create a Beanstack account for yourself or your family, you’re instantly connected to your local library’s reading programs, so you’ll get credit for every minute and every page. We’ll keep all your stats for you, cheer you on while you work towards your program goals, and let you know when you’ve earned prizes. When your library’s program ends, you keep your account, and your reading history—it’s always free, and you can keep right on logging your leisure reading. When the next library program comes around, no need to re-register—just click on it, and you’re in.

How do I register?

Start by clicking on the link above. You will need to enter your name, library card number, your primary library branch, age, grade, and school. If you are a PGCPS student, your link card can serve as your library card number. After registering, you will see all challenges available to you based on your age or grade level. If you are not automatically enrolled in VolunTEEN, you will need to click the VolunTEEN icon and then click “enroll.”

How do I get someone to sign off on my hours?

When you have completed VolunTEEN, or you’ve completed the necessary number of hours, you will fill out this form. Enter your full name, school, and grade. If you do not attend a PGCPS school, attach the appropriate form for your school. Please do not use a student PGCPS email address as we are unable to email you back.

What if I need more than 6 hours?

If you need more than 6 hours, you can visit pgcmls.info/volunteer to see current volunteer opportunities at the library. You can also attend one of our Teen Action Groups to earn service learning hours.

When can I earn hours?

You can earn your hours at any point during the school year. The VolunTEEN program runs from August 25, 2025, to June 20, 2026.