2009 Summer Creative Writing Workshops June 8, 2009

Do your kids’ brains take a vacation over the summer? Writers in the Schools (WITS) has the answer. WITS, in conjunction with Rice University’s Center for Education are sponsoring the Summer Creative Writing Workshops (SCWW). The SCWW is a three week camp where students from grades K-12 attend classes which are team taught by an experienced teacher and a writer. SCWW is fun for kids and provides a priceless educational experience where kids learn from and work with real-world, professional writers.

WITS has an innovative approach to teaching and pairs professional writers with traditional educators in an effort to bring together academic and creative writing and help each child find his or her voice. Over the three week camp hesitant writers bloom in the supportive environment as they experience different ways of writing and develop the confidence to consider themselves authors. Children who already see themselves as authors develop new skills, expand their creativity, and enjoy inspiration and mentoring from published professional writers who work actively in their field.

Together, the students, teachers, and writers explore a variety of genres including poetry, plays, personal essays, and fiction. The WITS experience is a collaboration between the teacher, the writer, and the student in which exercises, group projects, and individual exploration provide the basis for real, observable improvement with creative writing and creative expression. Through these interactions, students develop confidence in their writing skills and a love of writing. Field trips to local art museums or visits from artists inspire students to explore their creativity. At the end of the sessions, celebrations involving readings and/or performances by the student authors are held in all classes, and students are presented with their own copy of a class anthology.

This year there are three locations offered:
• Central: Annunciation Orthodox School, 3600 Yoakum Blvd. Houston, TX 77006
• Southwest: The Shlenker School, 5600 N. Braeswood Blvd. Houston, TX 77096
• West: Meadow Wood Elementary, 14320 Memorial Dr. Houston, TX 77079

The Summer Creative Writing Workshops begin June 8th. Registration for classes is open and the cost is $460 per student with fees discounted to $415 for each additional sibling. Online registration is available through the WITS website. Classes fill quickly so early registration is encouraged. For further information please visit the WITS website (www.witshouston.org), contact WITS by email (mail@witshouston.org), or call us at 713-523-3877.

Official Website: http://www.witshouston.org/cms.aspx?pg=prgscww