Young Writers' Camp
Academic Life
Young Writer's Camp attracts talented youth from around the nation and world to the Duke University campus to engage in stimulating classes in creative and expository writing. Programs are designed to meet the needs of motivated students who want to enrich their intellectual experiences beyond traditional academic settings. Co-curricular social and recreational activities complement each instructional day.
Classes are designed to be academically challenging and focus on the creative and analytical processes of writing. The learning environment can be characterized as supportive and interactive. Campers are expected to participate fully in class and to complete assignments on time. Students work on assignments and projects in class; projects may include newspaper features, short stories, character studies, journals, or short dramatic productions. Out-of-class work is frequently assigned for upcoming class activities.
Although assignments are not graded, each camper receives written and verbal feedback on their work. Following the completion of the session, summative written evaluations are emailed to parents and campers.
Students are divided into two distinct age groups for class placement: lower age group classes are for students in current grades 6-8 (school year 2009-2010), and upper age group classes are for those in current grades 9-11 (school year 2009-2010). In each session, a core curriculum consisting of short fiction, poetry, journalism, and playwriting is offered.Specific courses vary from session to session.
Prior to the start of camp, participants receive brief course descriptions to assist them in selecting three choices for their morning and afternoon courses; based on these choices, campers are placed in one morning class and one afternoon class for the duration of the camp session. Typical offerings include Writing for Performance, Mystery Writing, Poetry, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Experimental Writing, Journalism, Teen Conflict and Personal Essay.
A complete listing of the classes that will be offered each session will be available in December.
Courses are NOT assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. All assignments are made at the same time, approximately 2 weeks prior to the start of camp, to maximize student first choice assignments.
THE CLASS DAY
The class day is designed so that participants experience both, small group and large group learning activities. Each day begins with a morning gathering of campers and staff, providing a time for daily announcements, speakers, or activities designed to stimulate imaginations and set the scene for morning classes. Free-writing periods offer students the opportunity to work on class assignments or to write on a self-selected topic. The class day concludes with a readers’ forum, where students are encouraged to share their work orally with peers. This forum to showcase work has become one of the most popular parts of the program.
CRITERIA
This summer program is open to students who are in grades 6-11 during the 2009-2010 academic year. The attendance requirements are an enthusiasm for writing and a desire to work to develop writing skills. The curriculum is designed so that students who have average or above-average reading and writing abilities will benefit most from attending the program. Since the camp is academically rigorous, we encourage attendance only for students who are academically motivated and have the ability to manage their time to complete assignments.