YWP News

Do you want a One-of-a-Kind writing notebook?

Stop by NxN on Saturday and we'll help you make one

Just bring a hardcover book or two that you can use as your notebook's cover

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In our never-ending effort to put your brilliance on display in front of a wide audience, we are endeavoring to create a network of platforms to showcase your work.

Of course, the more followers, favorites, likes, retweets, reblogs, karma points, friends, and repins we as a community can get, the more attention your work will get.

And it starts with you!

Find us on:

  youngwritersproject.tumblr.com

  Read more »

We want to get your voice out! Submit podcasts of your original work to be considered for VPR and Cowbird. Read more »

Thanks to everyone who participated in this year's Vermont Young Playwright's project and festival, a collaboration between the Vermont Stage Company and the Flynn Center for Performing Arts. YWP provided a digital space for the student participants and helped out in several workshops; we also did the live stream and live text commenting at the festival and will have medium and high resolution videos of each presented play soon.

In the meantime, feel free to go here and find the video of the play you are interested in:

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/vermont-young-playwrights

FYI, 107 people tuned into the live two-day Festival, accounting for nearly 60 hours of total viewership! Also, the recorded videos have so far been viewed by 230 people.

Congratulations to Hannah Freedner of Vergennes!

-- Addison County Writer of the Month for May --

See Hannah's winning writing... Read more »

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Young Writers Project recently received a $2,500 grant from the Vermont Community Foundation’s Small and Inspiring grant program to support workshops for youth in the North by North Center at YWP’s offices at 12 North St., in Burlington. The North by North Center is YWP’s community writing center that is driven by youth leaders and the needs of youth. North by North provides neighborhood youths a safe, quiet place to write, receive instruction and feedback and connect with youths from similar and different backgrounds.

Through its Small and Inspiring grant program, the Community Foundation hopes to help foster the spark that keeps Vermonters healthy and happy by finding and supporting projects in every town in Vermont where a small grant can make a big difference.

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YWP is a Vermont 501(c)(3) nonprofit formed in 2006 that engages thousands of Vermont and NH students in grades 3-12 in a variety of writing projects, helps them improve and present their best work online, in newspapers and on radio and stage through a variety of media and arts partners. Read more »

Students and a few faculty from Harwood Union High School are finishing up their annual trip to Rwanda, where students work at a local school and do other community visits and work. This engaging video is of one student introducing his own dancing spirit and watching what happens.... Check out some of the students' posts at rwanda.ywpschools.net

As some of our astute users may have already noticed, YWP now has a group of talented mentors that we kidnapped from the UVM Writing Center. They are all tutors for college level writing of many types, and talented young(-ish) writers themselves. They are excited to work with everyone here, both posting their own work and providing detailed feedback on yours. Read more »

       Okay, so, I’ve compiled a little more basic information to help avoid confusion, and set a more specific but really general setting.

       About four or five months after colonization and the mass building of cities is when the supplies on some of the ships are starting to reach a lower marking. Through damage and other circumstances (up to your imagination) some supplies was inevitably lost.  

       Also, if you were wondering about what year these shenanigans are taking place, I’d say circa 2500 A.D., though due to abnormalities in the ship’s logs, we can’t be exactly certain of the year.

       The Network is a global satellite system that transmits, stores, and monitors information regarding population, supplies, and general information. It also has links that can take you back to Old Earth history and literature/art and such and such. Not all was salvaged, but some data was saved.

       For the sake of continuity, I have here included a general map of Eos, and where each of the ships branched out from, and their relative sizes. Keep in mind, they’re massive “cities”, almost more like provinces. 

Please, remember that I in no way intend to impede your creative ideas! If you feel the need to deviate, do so without remorse! These are just guidelines… suggestions… ideas…. Springboards… Nothing more! Read more »

Congratulations are in order for Quella, our newest Writer to Read. She deserves it, so let's hear it for her. Great work, keep it up!!

      (So, before I get started, I'd like to thank Archibald the Prophet and Bart the General for all their help setting up this introduction into this new wonderful universe! Thanks you guys, couldn't get it going without you!)

This is an introduction to “Shared World 2.0”

(That should be the keyword you use, like I have. After it’s tagged and posted, by clicking the tag you can view all the other stuff that’s a part of the world.)

This is just a basic introduction to the world, the universe, and the general setting, a kickboard for your future writing endeavors.

So, my friends, finally, welcome to Eos.       

  Read more »

Congratulations are in order for our two newest Writers to Read... Thors Apprehension and Imperfect. Great job guys, it's been a long time coming. Nobody deserves it more. Show them some love.

“The students didn't want to stop writing!” ~ Lynne Manley, Milton High School

“We wrote in our AP Lit class, then everyone shared part or all of what they wrote. Love doing this in class!” ~ Margaret Slate, Grade 11, Peoples Academy, Morrisville

“I overheard several students saying that they planned to go back and write more from home… the idea that they left the experience motivated to write more warms my teacher heart!” ~ Lee Orlando, Hunt Middle School, Burlington

Comments like these from teachers and students echoed around the state (and parts of New Hampshire and even North Carolina) – about Vermont Writes Day. Schools stopped everything on February 7 to write for 7 minutes, and the response was overwhelmingly positive.

In its fourth year, Vermont Writes Day provides a spark for schools to emphasize the importance of good writing skills for expression, critical thinking and success in the workplace and life. Sally Hayes, a teacher at C.P. Smith Elementary School in Burlington, put it this way: “Thanks to YWP for inspiring us to focus on writing. It is an immensely critical skill for students to practice and feel comfortable with. The prompts are excellent, the inspiration necessary and in the future it reminds me that our schedules need to allow for long blocks of time for writing during each and every school day!”   Read more »

 Thank you to Mrs. Hayes and Mr. Safran at CP Smith Elementary in Burlington for welcoming me into their classrooms for Vermont Writes Day as well as Mrs. Picher and Mrs. Orlando at Hunt Middle School.

Thanks, too, to Mallets Bay School for welcoming Susan Reid and Kathy Folley of YWP.

And to Hinesburg Community School for putting up with, er, welcoming Geoff Gevalt to TWO classes!

GG is interviewed on VPR

Thursday, Feb. 7, was VERMONT WRITES DAY, a celebration of writing involving thousands of students (and teachers) across the state. A fantastic success! THANK YOU. More than 1,200 posts on  vermontwritesday.org (this is just a sampling of what was written; most schools used pencils and paper or a word processor or YWP's digital classroom platform or other sites.) Did your school participate? LET US KNOW in comments below.

Thanks, too, to Jane Lindholm of Vermont Edition (VPR) for her interview with GG (geoff gevalt, ywp director) and take a listen to learn WHOSE 2012 Vermont Writes Day pieces he read ON AIR!!!

 WRITING PROMPTS for Vermont Writes Day 2013 (in the order of the number of submissions on vermontwritesday.org:) Read more »

Katherine Paterson, the Vermont novelist who spoke at our Anthology 4 gathering in October, has won another prestigious award -- the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award. Congrats to her! And remember what she said: that back in her school days few believed she had much talent for writing! Persistence, work, reading and following her ideas led to this:

Laura Ingalls Wilder Award honors an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children. The 2013 winner is Katherine Paterson. Paterson was born in China in 1932 to missionary parents and grew up in the American South, moving eighteen times before she was 18. After graduating from King College in Bristol, Tennessee, she herself became a missionary in Japan. She returned to the U.S. to attend the Union Theological Seminary in New York, where she met and married John Paterson, a Presbyterian minister. Her first book, “The Sign of the Chrysanthemum,” was published in 1973. Katherine Paterson currently lives in Barre, Vermont.

Burlington area folks: Burlington City Arts (Firehouse Gallery on Church Street next to City Hall) had a jam-packed opening of its new exhibition called Seat's Taken on Friday, Jan. 25. Highlight of the show was the performance of Diversity Rocks!

The show, which continues through April, is designed to continue the community-wide dialogue about race and to include more broad issues of inclusion and exclusion. The show is interesting -- a wide range of styles, genres and moods. Check it out. And write about it; use the KEYWORD: Seat's Taken.

Congatulations to Aliza Silverstein who has been selected to play Ludwig van Beethoven's Concerto No. 1 for Piano: Allegro con brio  with the Vermont Philharmonic Orchestra on their Winter Concert.  Concerts are Saturday, February 2 at the Elley-Long in Colchester and Sunday, February 3 at the Barre Opera House.  Additional information about these concerts and how to order tickets can be found at the VPO webpage.

The St. Johnsbury Athenaeum got a huge community hug on the weekend to support the library staff who were given pink slips just before Christmas. The protesters want the library's board of trustees to reconsider before the Feb. 1 layoffs take effect. What do you think? Add your comments below. And follow the story and share your opinion at Rural Librarians Unite.

Young Writers Project is supported and inspired by many generous people who share with us the value of writing and its profound impact on young lives.

Among them are Julie Davis and Bruce Seifer of Burlington, parents of Bentley Davis Seifer, who died tragically at age 12 in a swimming accident in July 2011. In Bentley’s honor, Julie and Bruce kindly sent YWP a contribution from the Bentley Davis Seifer Memorial Foundation, and we are most grateful to them.

Julie and Bruce have been deeply moved by the thoughts and words of Bentley’s good friends who miss him, and they would like to acknowledge these young people, including Charles Myers, who wrote about his grief in a piece that was published in YWP’s Anthology 4 and featured on VPR.net; Izzi Halpern, whose letter was read at the unveiling of Bentley's headstone; and Oliver Marchildon, who wrote a narrative about living in a way that honors his friend. Read more »

Please find enclosed (our) contribution to the Young Writers Project from the Bentley Davis Seifer Memorial Foundation. We would like to acknowledge and honor Charlie Myers for his outstanding piece of work that reflected a mature understanding of the grief process.

The Bentley Davis Seifer Foundation was created to honor the short but very rich life of our only 12-year-old son. Graced with a highly evolved spiritual nature and an abundance of emotional intelligence, Bentley was a caring, trusting, generous and sensitive boy who lived his life to the fullest. He cared deeply for others and went out of his way to assist, mentor & befriend those less fortunate in his classrooms, neighborhood and on his beloved ball fields. The abrupt end to his life on July 12, 2011 challenged us all to live better lives.

The foundation was established to fund projects that exemplify Bentley’s approach to life and his appreciation for friendship, writing, art, music, science, sports, poetry and all living things. It is designed to serve our community by supporting programs and initiatives that exemplify the character, ideals and activities that Bentley demonstrated, aspired to and enjoyed during his lifetime. It is our hope that these initiatives will inspire others, particularly youth, to perpetuate Bentley’s interests and model his community-minded behavior. With these awards we hope these projects will help our community remain a warm, welcoming and inviting place for children to grow and reach their potential. Read more »

President Barack Obama, has this to say about writing:

"In my life, writing has been an important exercise to clarify what I believe, what I see, what I care about, what my deepest values are.

"The process of converting a jumble of thoughts into coherent sentences makes you ask tougher questions."

Many thanks to the folks at WCAX for having me on TV early Wednesday morning and for promoting your great work in Anthology 4 on air and on wcax.com ... For info on getting the book (list of book stores, direct ordering info (our operators are standing by)) go to youngwritersproject.org/anthology4

Geoff Gevalt on WCAX-TV 12.19.2012 from Young Writers Project on Vimeo.

Order Anthology 4 -- the best of the best of your work -- for great reading or gift. Contact YWP's Kate Stein via email: kstein@youngwritersproject.org or 802-324-9537. Order by mail, order here by PayPal (or credit card) or visit these book stores:

Phoenix Books (Burlington and Essex)
Crow Books (Burlington)
Bridgeside Books (Waterbury)
Rivendell Books (Montpelier)
Bear Pond Books (Montpelier)
Brown Dog Books (Hinesburg)
The Flying Pig Bookstore (Shelburne)
The Vermont Book Shop (Middlebury)

To order by mail (send to YWP, 12 North St., Burlington, VT, 05401); we'll send your copy (copies) right out in the mail. PRICES: $7 for one, $14 for two, $21 for three, $26 for four, $32 for five. Contact us if you wish more. Or you can use a credit card or PayPal through our PayPal account or see electronic version by clicking "Read More".

Read the Young Writers Project pieces that were selected for presentation as Winter Tales by Vermont Stage Company (download below).

Congratulations, writers, including Abhi Dodgson, left, a fifth grade student from South Hero. Also congrutulations to

Kate Pierpont, Addison Hadlock, Emma Henault, Riley Thompson, Emma Lacross, Phoebe Gammal, Aliza Silverstein, Izzy Moody, Rachel Chan, Leyte Carolynn McNealus, Anna Cook, Jeremy Brotz and Emma Chaffee.

Kamli Faour

Abby Brown

Abhi Dodgson

Many thanks to Vermont Public Radio who aired THREE YWP writers this week. These pieces were performed as part of the YWP Millennials on Stage I  as recorded by VPR at the Burlington Book Festival on Sept. 22. Thanks again to VPR for its support of students EACH week: YWP-VPR Archives or check out (and hear) the selections here, too: http://youngwritersproject.org/taxonomy/term/2167

Kamli Faour Monday, Nov. 26

Abby Brown Tuesday Nov. 27

Abhi Dodgson Wednesday Nov. 28

So this was so exciting news... THREE YWP writers were ON AIR on Vermont Public Radio on Nov. 26, 27 & 28 at 7:55 a.m.  Kamli Faour, Abby Brown and Abhi Dodgson!

Very cool! We hope you listened, but if you didn't hear it live, click the link above and take a listen. This was all part of the Millennials on Stage I project this fall in partnership with VPR and Burlington Book Festival. Thanks to everyone who made this possible. And thanks to the kids who did such a great job writing and presenting their pieces. Now they are RADIO STARS! Yippee!