Young Writers Association

No summer 2010 sessions for this class - starts again in fall 2010

Stirring up literary play between youth & community since 1994!

Kids and teens exercise their imaginations in YWA workshops in school, after school, on school days off and in summer camps. They create stories and poetry that we share with the community in publications, on the web and on the radio. We encourage young minds to discover their creativity.

Young Writers Association 2010 Winter Workshops

Experiment with the art of writing in small groups

• Workshops are eight week, fee-based, after school 4:00-5:30pm
• Small groups, limited to 10 participants.
• Snack & writing supplies provided to fortify creativity
• End of term Community Reading: Wednesday, 3/17, 7:00pm, Borders Books
• Students submit work to read on YWA Mixed Voices on KLCC radio, and to publish in YWA’s creative writing journal, UpStarts
• Tuition for workshops is $80 per term. Some partial scholarships available

Ages 7 – 9, Mess with Words Mondays!

Exercise your creativity in action packed word-play. Mess with storytelling, make out-loud poems, cut, and glue and dangle words. Tell, illustrate, act and imagine both solo and in teams.
Mondays, 4:00-5:30. Workshops led by Shannon Sprouse
Winter: Jan. 11-March 15
(*Note: no workshops on no school days: Jan. 18, and Feb. 15)

YWA’s MESS WITH WORDS instructor is Shannon Sprouse. Shannon has taught for UO Talented & Gifted programs Super Saturday and Summer Enrichment Program, for YWA’s Lively Literature Camps and for The Science Factory.

Ages 9-11, Write An Adventure Tuesdays!

YWA hosted by the Reach Center. Join forces with fellow writers to build a world of adventure for your characters to negotiate. Create trials! Craft tribulations! We'll cover everything from developing rich settings and fascinating characters to getting them into and out of a pickle.
Tuesdays, 4:00-5:30 with Jon Labrousse
Winter: Scary Stories! January 12- March 2

YWA’s elementary school writing mentor is Jon Labrousse, a published, award-winning poet who's busy writing adventure stories for young people. Jon has a B.A. in English, an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership, and is an Oregon Certified English teacher. He lives in Eugene, Oregon, with his wife and two children, and rides his bicycles as much as humanly possible. Jon also works with YWA's In-School Programs and Teen Outdoor Writing Camp. Check out his process-based website: http://www.writeanadventure.com

Grades 4-5, Exercise Your Wild Imagination Wednesdays!

Stretch the imagination while discovering writers your age! Share bits from favorite books, test different writing tips, prepare for publishing, read on the radio & participate in an evening reading.
Wednesdays, 4:00-5:30pm with Louisa Lindsay-Sprouse
Winter: Jan. 20-March 10

Louisa Lindsay-Sprouse, the founding director of Young Writers Association, shares literature based curricula developed for YWA programs. Called a visionary in arts education, she has received numerous awards for significant contributions to the cultural life of the community. Louisa has provided literary arts explorations, as both leisure time enrichment and vital learning in classrooms, for teacher groups and intergenerational groups, as well as to teachers-in-training at the University of Oregon. Experienced in addressing educational standards, Louisa has aligned curriculum to benchmarks in Oregon’s arts standards for Oregon Public Education Network and for Lane Education Service District. She also publishes youth, and produces a poetry spot of mixed age writers for public radio. Louisa is a storyteller/poet who simply finds pleasure in sharing her love for words, imagination and the adventure of learning. Louisa has also taught in YWA’s YES! YEA! Days, After-School Writing Workshops, and Lively Lit Camps with her husband Frank, and for Umpqua Valley Arts Association.

Website: http://www.ywalane.org/

Day: See info above.

Class Time: See info above.

Cost: Please call.

Phone: 541-485-2259

Email: ywalouisa@aol.com