The Taylor University English Department invites students entering grades 4-12 to attend WORDshop, a creative writing camp, on July 19-23. Organizers say the general camp will run from 9 a.m. to noon and will provide students with a fun setting in which they can play with words, genres, and ideas that help develop their sense of voice and identity as a writer. Throughout the week, students will engage with different authors, work to better understand their own writing process, and participate in guided writing times. An advanced camp will be offered for students entering grades 7-12. This section will run daily from 1:00-4:00 p.m. and provide space for writers looking to dig deeper with work in progress or seeking focused writing time with support.
“This will be our third year offering this writing camp experience. We were sad to not be able to hold the camp last year due to Covid-19 restrictions,” said Dr. Carie King, Associate Professor of English at Taylor and Director of WORDshop. “What I love about this camp, as a teacher and as a parent, is the opportunity it provides for us to nurture our young readers and writers. We open space to play with words, genres, and to do so within a community focused on creativity.”
King said the creators and teachers of WORDshop believe that this kind of writing provides students with an invaluable creative outlet that is not only fun but also compels students to think critically about the words and images they use as they interpret themselves and the world around them through writing.
Camp sessions will meet at the university’s Reade Liberal Arts Center and King said students will have plenty of opportunities to step outside the classroom throughout the camp for fresh air and inspiration.
The cost of the camp is $75.00, which includes a t-shirt and a writer’s notebook. To register, visit the WORDshop website at www.wordshoptayloruniversity.wordpress.com.
