NaNoWriMo comes to Rhode Island! A Free After School Youth Writing Program

Providence, R.I. – School One, an independent high school and co-creator of Write Rhode Island, announces a free National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) Young Writers Program for students in grades 7-12. NaNoWriMo provides tools for writers of all ages around the world who are brave and crazy enough to tackle an ambitious writing project in just one month. School One will provide a creative writing teacher, classroom space and snacks – Who can resist snacks?—as part of this after school creative writing program.

NaNoWriMo meets on Wednesdays from 3:30-5:00 at School One, with the option to stay and write until 5:30.
•October 25th First Meeting: Students will get to know each other, plan their novels with guided activities, create profiles and set personal word-count goals.
•November 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th: Get writing! Sessions will begin with check-ins, pep talks and prompts, followed by dedicated writing time and one-on-one support.
•December 6th: Celebrate! Students will celebrate their accomplishments with a pizza party and choose and revise scenes to share at a final reading with family and friends.

This is a free program for students who want to take their imaginations to the next level and have fun with writing in an ambitious yet relaxed environment. Youth who may already be participating in Novel Writing Month at school or elsewhere are welcome to join for extra support and community.

Students must register in advance with School One. Contact Diana Champa at dianac@school-one.org or (401) 331-2497. Sessions will take place at School One, 220 University Ave, Providence, RI 02906.

Maryann Ullmann, the Instructor, is a local teaching artist on the RISCA Education Roster. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Chatham University and has taught writing in numerous community spaces including county jails, cultural centers, and after school programs.

School One is a small, independent high school in Providence that provides an arts-intensive, college preparatory education to an array of students from across Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts.

National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing. The challenge: draft an entire novel during the month of November. The NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program, at ywp.nanowrimo.org, also helps K-12 educators facilitate NaNoWriMo in schools, libraries, and community centers around the world.

For more information, including a full list of available student and adult creative writing opportunities, visit www.school-one.org or contact Diana Champa at (401) 331-2497 and dianac@school-one.org.