Writers Academy for Youth

photo of kids in writers academy hats smiling and posing

Registration for 2023 Writers Academy opens January 16th! Please review the registration information here before registering.

For youth in grades 5-12

The UNH Writers Academy is a place where students are treated as writers. They can put their creative juices to work and improve their skills in a relaxed yet challenging environment. Students will write daily and exchange ideas with other young writers. They will discover various writing styles and meet professional authors who will share their own experiences about becoming successful writers.

Week 1 runs from Monday, June 26th, to Friday, June 30th. Week 2 runs from Monday, July 10th, to Friday, July 14th. All sessions meet 8:30 a.m.– 2:15 p.m., Monday-Friday.  Don't miss out!  Click here to register.

Writers Academy 2023 schedule cropped

For questions, or if your child is interested in having a particular instructor, please contact Tomasen M. Carey, Director, at Tomasen.Carey@unh.edu

 

  • Writers Academy Students in the classroom

    "My favorite experience was the blackout poetry and the 50-word writing pieces we did. "

    8th Grader

    "I really enjoyed the community and how active my teacher was."

    11th Grader

  • Writers Academy students

    "My favorite experience was probably the 4 random ideas because it got my mind thinking.  Those words really don’t go together.  I also liked the library.  Since it was so quiet and calm my mind was forced on one thing only: writing."

    5th Grader

    "I liked filling up my book with memories."

    5th Grader

  • detail of Writers Academy student's notebook

    "I loved learning new techniques and meeting new people"

    9th Grader

    "My favorite experience at Writers Academy was just getting feedback on writing, and just getting new ideas. "

    7th Grader

    "I enjoyed writing the dialogue story."

    6th Grader

group-writers-academy

group of Writers Academy students

Writers Academy Group

Photography: Mark Holt-Shannon

History

The University of New Hampshire is internationally known for its work in writing. Beginning in the 1960s, Donald Murray urged teachers to treat all students as writers: they need subjects that engage them and helpful responses from other students and the teacher. Murray’s colleague and friend, Donald Graves, extended those ideas by showing how the elementary classroom could become a writer’s workshop. His book Writing Teachers and Children at Work has transformed how writing is taught in schools.

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