Karen Golden is a longtime elementary school librarian. She is also a longtime adviser for Bear Essential News’ Young Reporters Program. For the last seven years, she has been working with students at Arizona Desert Elementary.

Golden first started as an adviser for Bear back when students were known as Cub Reporters in the 1980s. After a move to Colorado, she ended up in Grand Junction where she started a Young Reporters Club, These Colorado kids covered news stories for Bear Essential under her guidance. Now, Golden leads the Young Reporters Program at Arizona Desert. She also sponsors the Student Council at her school. “Many of my Young Reporters participate in both clubs,” according to Golden. “It is so rewarding to see young journalists grow and improve their writing skills. They get so excited when they see their story in print.”

Golden was first offered the job as school librarian at John F. Long School. She says she took the job and “absolutely fell in love with it right off the bat.” She enjoys getting kids excited about reading, and says that tapping into their interests is the key.

“Early on, I had a boy who said he didn’t like reading,” she recalls. After asking him about his interests, she learned he liked cars and directed him to drawing books with cars. Before long, this reluctant reader turned into someone who checked out a new book every week.

“I was not a good reader. I was not good at comprehending what I read,” Golden says. That is why it’s important to her that students find books that interest them and that are at the right reading level. “I don’t want kids to have that problem,” she explains.

When she was at John F. Long, she became an adviser for Bear Essential News—helping students learn to write news articles for the paper. “I’m not sure if I called them or they called me” about becoming an adviser, but “I thought it was a great idea,” says Golden.

Recently, her students have interviewed elected officials, an author/illustrator, and a Disney World worker, among others. “I just think kids should have those opportunities,” she says. “The Young Reporters Program gives them so many opportunities, things they might not do otherwise. I love it.”

“I don’t think kids write enough these days because of technology,” says Golden.

In her leisure time, Golden likes to sing (including karaoke) and bake. She likes to read mysteries, too.