Program Overview
Youth Writers Camp is our flagship 10-week creative writing and mentorship program designed to guide students through personal growth and creative expression. Each session includes writing workshops, storytelling exercises, emotional wellness check-ins, one-on-one mentorship, and intentional time with mental health professionals who help students explore their personal stories through safe and guided conversations.
Students engage in workshop opportunities that not only strengthen their voices but also work to bridge the literacy gap, particularly for students reading below grade level. The curriculum is designed to create connections between students’ personal experiences and improved reading comprehension and writing development—helping combat student apathy by making literacy meaningful and relevant.
By the end of the program, each student authors and publishes their own individual chapbook, a professionally bound collection of their personal work. The program concludes with a final showcase event where students perform their writing, celebrate their growth, and connect with their community. Youth Writers Camp is trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and accessible virtually or in person, making it flexible for schools and organizations
Program Timeline
Week 1
Intro / Survey / BE AWARE OF YOUR EMOTIONS AND REACTIONS / Writing
Week 2
Creative Writing Fundamentals / EXPRESS YOUR FEELINGS IN APPROPRIATE WAYS / Writing
Week 3
THINK BEFORE YOU ACT / Meet about cover design / Writing
Week 4
MANAGE STRESS, ANGER & FEAR / Cover image chosen / Title decided / Writing
Week 5
RETURN TO BASELINE / Guest Poet Lecture / Manuscript draft due / Cover proofs ready / Interior look meeting
Week 6
TAKE CARE OF YOUR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH / Guest Poet Lecture / Cover finalized / Interior look concept approval / Final manuscript due / Rehearsal
Week 7
FIND A COMMUNITY / Guest Poet Lecture / Interior finalized / Learn about marketing / Rehearsal
Week 8
FIND PURPOSE AND MEANING / Guest Poet Lecture / Send To Printer / Rehearsal
Week 9
Survey / Final Rehearsal For Showcase
Week 10
Showcase
Target
We provide middle and high school aged students, (ages 12-18) with a safe space to develop social emotional skills through creative arts.
Our goal is to not only help young people cope through writing, but also to motivate them to develop their own streams of revenue.
Goals
- Teach social emotional learning practices to help students manage emotions, as well as skills to gain clarity and improve communication
- Help students tell their stories and create their on chapbooks as products of their truth
- Lead students through the process of becoming published writers, selling their chapbooks, and showcasing their poetry
- Provide students with 20 copies of their published chapbook to sell