Jason Stockfish | [email protected]
YouthWrite, a nonprofit children’s organization, is hosting writing camps from July 3-15 in Edmonton and Calgary for those aged eight to 19.
The nonprofit “offer(s) residential and day camps that address and promote twenty-first century multiple literacies (with) a multi-disciplinary approach to writing and creating,” explains the organization’s website.
With a focus on diversity and inclusiveness, YouthWrite reaches out to those “on the margins, whether because of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or financial circumstances.”
The organization boasts of the “superbly talented and reputable instructors who represent the many facets of the performing, visual, musical, dance, film, and written arts” that it invites to instruct the campers.
Joining the organization in 2020, Yemariam Abebayehu attended the youth camp before becoming a communications assistant with YouthWrite.
“The name of the camp hints that it is just for writing but there are opportunities to take acting classes, songwriting classes, and (various) art classes,” she said.
As a camper, Abebayehu attended three camps, once in the winter and twice in the summer months.
“I was introduced to YouthWrite by a former camper.”
Abebayehu joined YouthWrite’s camp hoping the experience would provide her a chance to sharpen her writing skills and to meet new people that shared her passions.
“(YouthWrite) has helped me hone my skills as a writer and it has helped me feel more passionate about my writing.”
The organization invites instructors from a variety of backgrounds, artistically and individually, to provide a broad perspective of learning material with numerous art mediums available for the youth to explore.
“A big takeaway for many campers is that they really enjoy the opportunity to step out of their comfort zones,” Abebayehu said.
Utilizing multiple learning styles in its camps, YouthWrite includes “linguistic, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, spatial and visual, naturalistic, interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences” in its programs.
The YouthWrite experience is not just about the writing or the classes or what you’ll learn, she noted.
“Definitely that’s a big component of the camp. But the things that you will learn will contribute to unexpected personal growth,” Abebayehu said.
“I see YouthWrite as a second home because it’s so easy to find people that you can consider as family there.”
