BYU's College of Humanities and Division of Continuing Education will host a new series of Summer Youth Writing Camps for students grades 1-12 throughout the June.
There will be three sessions of camp -- two sessions June 18-22 for grades 1-4 and grades 5-9 and one session June 25-29 for students grades 10-12. Students will participate in one-week writing camps and be provided opportunities to develop their writing skills in creative and individual ways.
Chris Crowe, a co-director of the writing camps, is looking forward to the start of the new program this summer.
'Campers should come expecting to write everyday,' Crowe said. 'Each camp is designed to be interesting, interactive and creative.'
Each session of the camp has a different focus to serve students of the various grades.
Children grades 1-4 will focus on writing about the sights, smells and sounds of summer, grades 5-9 will learn to transform ideas into exciting writing pieces and grades 10-12 will sharpen their brainstorming, organizational and editing skills.
Tuition cost for the one-week camp is $145 for each child and covers five days of instruction, classroom materials, snacks, a T-shirt and an anthology of the young writers' work.
Lorena Smithey, an instructor at the camp for grades 10-12, said she hopes the students will leave feeling a part of a select community of peer writers.
'They will learn and practice skills on a daily basis and use of writing groups to improve their craft,' Smithey said. 'We are teaching stunts how to participate in constructive critique groups with peers, as well as providing workshops on writing topics that they are interested in learning about.'
Penny Gardner, an instructor for grades 1-4, will be teaching a course on the nature of writing and learn how to express themselves and record their outdoor experiences.
'Students will go on nature walks, stopping to paint and write along the way,' said Gardner. 'We hope that participants will continue to paint and write in their nature journals throughout the summer, and beyond, as they go on camping trips, hiking and traveling.'
Participants will be provided quality instruction and writing practice through the one week course. Registration is limited to provide quality time for individual attention.
Registration ends friday June 8; parents can learn more and register their children at the BYU Conferences and Workshop website at: http://ce.byu.edu/cw/writing/ .