According to the World Health Organization, tobacco use is one of the leading preventable causes of death, killing nearly 6 million people each year,  600,000 of them people exposed to second-hand smoke. Learn more and get involved.

Time to get air in those tires,  find your helmet, and add this Hennepin County site to your favorites. You'll find maps, other route mapping tools, and information about NiceRide Minnesota, the bike sharing program.

Sometimes it's hard to sort it all out. This month we have links to quizzes and tips that make you think, and a video to make you smile. You can check out the video producer's book from HCL, Exactly as I am.

Try some tips on how to budget for prom. It can be expensive, so find some ways to make it do-able.

Yesterday, nearly 100 people were ticketed in Minnesota for driving while texting while driving for an awareness campaign for Distracted Driving Day. A Minnesota woman was sentenced for fatally running over a motocyclist because she was texting while she drove. And according to impactteendrivers.org, reckless and distracted driving is the number one killer of teens. Do you text or use your cell phone while you drive?

The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act was passed by the US House of Representatives yesterday. There have been reports that the Senate may block the bill. What do you think of the bill, and how do you think it will effect data privacy in the US?

Not sure where to start? MyFuture.com is a comprehensive online resource that gives information on colleges, careers and military service opportunities, step-by-step planning check list, favorite school and job info can be saved. Plus, SAT interviewing advice.

MVStudio: Music and Video Production
Minneapolis Central Library
Teen Central
Mondays, March 5–May 21, 4 p.m.
Register Online or call 612-543-8000.
Grades 6-12. Get hands-on experience to create your own beats. Learn music mixing techniques using the latest technology in music and video production. Record and produce your own music or video in this exciting workshop led by the library's Teen Tech Squad. Let your voice be heard!
Sponsored by the Best Buy Children's Foundation; Presented in collaboration with the IPR (Institute of Production and Recording).

This weekend marks the 100th anniversary of the Titanic disaster. Check out an excerpt from the official report by the U.S. Senate or head over to Minneapolis Central to read full transcripts from the hearings.

Think Kate and Leo showed you everything you need to know about the Titanic? Check out an excerpt from the official report conducted by the U.S. Senate to learn more about the sinking of the ship.

Enter the My Experience as a Military Child poetry contest which has a deadline of April 16. Two of the categories include seventh to ninth grade, and tenth to twelfth grade. Winners of the contest will be attend a reception of including Senator Al Franken and other government officials, have their work displayed in Senator Franken's office and the overall winner will receive an autographed book by Garrison Keillor.

Make This: Non-Traditional Comic Arts
Teen Central
Tuesday, April 10, 4–6 p.m.
Register Online or call 612-543-8000.
Grades 7-12. Think comics are only created with pens and India ink? Think again. Explore the range of media used to create contemporary comics, including scratchboard, photocopies, collage and printmaking, and more traditional materials. No previous comic arts experience necessary. 
This project is funded with money from Minnesota's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
Presented in collaboration with Minnetonka Center for the Arts.
 

Ever gotten stuck on a step in a tough problem? WolframAlphra can help! Read their blog, then give it a whirl!

Hope those tree-patterned windows are strong! (Just kidding.) Check out this free exhibit, running April 9-June 15, and the panel discussion April 10 at 7pm by baseball historians and authors. On April 15, we commemorate the day Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier in 1947. The library’s got many books about Mr. Robinson and his accomplishments.

It’s not too early to start thinking about what you’ll do this summer. If a paid job doesn’t work out, or doesn’t have many hours, consider volunteering to gain experience and save yourself from too much reality TV. How can there be 100 channels and nothing to watch? Don’t forget your library and Free Arts Minnesota and these other great places to volunteer.

In this clip, John forgot his lines at 1:00 If you’re forgetting things, wish you could forget things, or need other help, check these links.

Maybe it’s allergies, maybe it’s end of the year school pressures, or maybe it’s the warm weather, but emotions can be extra intense this time of year. For some coping strategies, check out the book Don't let your emotions run your life for teens by Sheri Van Dijk, or these web sites.

Attention All High School Juniors!  Not able to visit all the colleges on your list? CampusTours allows you to view thousands of virtual college tours and interactive maps. 

Is the use of standardize tests improving education in America? Find out the pros and cons about this controversial topic at ProCon.

to do everything you want to do? Keep track of everything you must do, stay organized, and avoid distractions. Get more ideas on how to manage your time so that you can do what you want to do!

Our state capitol is truly a special place. Learn more about one of it's more interesting rooms, the Rathskeller, home to some unusual artwork featuring squirrels and other small animals.

Will we ever get a new Vikings stadium? Follow this and other issues facing the State Legislature at MPR. 

Who decides which cases get heard before the Supreme Court? Can anyone go listen in? It's complicated, to say the least.

We learned recently that the Encyclopedia Britannica is no longer publishing a print version. Luckily your library has free online access with just a library card!

The Young Adult Review Network (YARN) is "Crossing the Country, Line by Line" during the month of April, publishing a poem from each state. Follow the progress and read the poems!

The month of April has been designated Sexual Assault Awareness Month in the United States. The goal of Sexual Assault Awareness Month is to raise awareness about sexual violence and to educate about preventing sexual violence.