Thanks to the Young Writers’ Institute, Cary may very well be the home of a future bestselling author or award-winning essayist.
The Institute has been nurturing poets, playwrights, novelists, and artists for more than a decade, giving them a safe space to express themselves and tap into their creativity.
Like many small businesses, the Young Writers’ Institute started as a kitchen-table venture.
Casey Midkiff, a longtime teacher in Alamance and Wake counties, began homeschooling her own children while tutoring and holding writing workshops in her kitchen on Sunday afternoons. In 2013, she decided to move her groups into a classroom and give her little society of fledgling authors a name, calling it the Young Writers’ Institute.
A variety of good reads are available for students.
“The Young Writers’ Institute is a community for young writers and authors,” says Casey. “Our mission is to enrich the creative lives of children through the written word.”
A variety of writing programs from poetry to prose, graphic novels, blogging, and more open a world of self-expression for children and teens in grades 3 through 12.
“We believe that the voices of young people are so important, and we seek to give them the skills and confidence to express themselves,” Casey continues.
Read on as Casey details how students find their voices and refine their craft.
You offer so much! Describe your different classes, camps, workshops, etc.
We do indeed have a very full schedule. Coming up, we have our summer camp program. Summer break is a great time to try new things, and we have a variety of camps to suit a wide range of interests. This summer we have 16 camps, including food blogging, contest writing boot camp, comics and graphic novels, genre fiction (fantasy, mystery, and dystopian), and so much more.
Young Writers’ Institute founder Casey Midkiff
Our creative writing program continues through the school year with weekly themed workshops, teacher workday and holiday camps, and our Wild Writers nature writing program. Additionally, we offer Teen Writers’ Circle, a social group for teens who want to be a part of a strong and growing writers’ community. There is truly something for every young writer.
During the school year, we also offer our academic writing program for students in grades 5–12. Using the curriculum from the Institute for Excellence in Writing, students learn notetaking, outlining, summarizing, and essay writing. It’s a terrific program for students who need a lot of structure, particularly those who struggle with writing essays or who don’t have a lot of experience with writing.
Our school-year program offers classes after school and on Saturdays, as well as during the daytime for homeschoolers.
What is the program content and how do you develop it?
Our content has been in development for nearly 15 years, and we are constantly adding to and improving it. We have a program for nearly every genre of fiction writing, plus themed classes and project-based classes — around 50 programs in total. Programs are designed to inspire creative thought, help plan and organize ideas, and practice techniques to develop the writers’ craft.
Ten-year-old Olivia Duckworth expresses her thoughts during a writing assignment.
Do kids already need to be writers? Or can anyone benefit from it?
The rule of thumb is that if students can write a complete sentence and have the desire to learn and create, then they are ready to join us here at YWI.
What are the learning objectives?
Our learning objectives are centered around the writing process: gathering ideas, planning and organizing ideas, drafting, revising and editing, sharing, and publishing. At YWI, this process benefits from support and collaboration with teachers and peers.
Do the young writers come out of the workshops and camps with a full story, poem, or even a book?
The product is dependent on the class and the goals of the author. In some classes, students leave with a finished and polished story. Sometimes students are working on longer projects, so they may leave with just a few chapters but an intention to continue. In some classes, students work on shorter pieces like poems, vignettes, or collections of micro fiction, and we gather selected pieces to publish a collaborative class book. We encourage students to publish and celebrate when they have finished a piece.
Do they have an opportunity to get published?
Yes. We help students enter contests, submit pieces to various publications, and self-publish.
Eleven-year-old Max Kirschbaum arrives for class.
What are kids’ favorite topics or genres?
Our youngest authors really enjoy the history-based themes, like Vikings and ancient Egypt. Older students love the intense fiction genres, like dystopian and paranormal, as well as projects that give them a big audience, like podcasting. Interestingly, everyone loves poetry. Young people intrinsically understand the power and beauty of a poem, and they are drawn to it.
Describe the teaching staff. Are they local writers, local teachers?
YWI has the best instructors. We are experienced teachers and enthusiastic readers and writers. I lead the creative writing program, and my colleague, Dawn Bertrand, leads the Institute for Excellence in Writing program. We’ve been working together for 11 years, and we have a combined total of over 50 years’ teaching experience. Other teachers facilitate camps and classes based on their specialties and certifications, like art or college prep.
Casey Midkiff teaches a class on storytelling.
How many kids are served in the various programs?
We have around 200 students join us for summer camps. Throughout the school year, we have many students who sign up for multiple classes, so we fill about 450 seats.
What can young writers and their parents expect?
They can expect to become part of a supportive classroom that welcomes all writers. They’ll work on projects that interest them and that showcase their imagination and knowledge. Teachers meet all students at their current levels and focus on growth, helping them express themselves clearly, effectively, and artfully. There is no stress in our classroom! We make writing fun and give kids the freedom they need to develop their passion for writing.
What makes this program special for kids?
Kids typically have no trouble thinking of themselves as soccer players or coders or dancers, but there aren’t many who think of themselves as writers. Here they are given the opportunity to find the brilliance within them and write to share it. Here is where they can say, “This is who I am, this is what I think and feel, and these are my ideas that nobody else has ever dreamed of before. I am a writer.”
Only 12 years old, Rose Rivera has already published her first book.
Any success stories?
Every YWI student is a success story, but several alumni have been accepted to prestigious conferences or internships, won competitive awards, and self-published books. I am constantly amazed by the passion and dedication of these kids.
Where can parents learn more?
We would love parents to visit our website. There, they can learn about the various adventures — to include our summer camp program, for which enrollment is now open — awaiting young writers.
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