91传媒

Finding their voices

Seven hours earlier they wouldn鈥檛 have taken the risk, but by 3 p.m. on the second Saturday of March, dozens of youngsters lined up to read their freshly written work. Poems, skits, short stories and essays resounded through 91传媒鈥檚 McKenzie Theatre as teachers and peers listened to the many new works crafted at the 2019 Student Writers鈥� Workshop.

Nancy Knowles, an 91传媒 English professor, has coordinated the event since 2005, and said about 150 students in grades 3 to 12 attend the event with their teachers or parents. Students choose from a range of age-appropriate workshops, then revise and edit their work before sharing at the Open Mic session.

鈥淭he goal is to make it fun,鈥� Knowles said. 鈥淲riting in school is often more about assessment than the student鈥檚 individual voice, but every time we write we鈥檙e expressing ourselves.鈥�

She said if students view writing as pleasurable they鈥檙e more likely to succeed in exams and required assignments throughout their education. In fact, she鈥檚 had multiple alumni of the Student Writers鈥� Workshop enroll in her 91传媒 classes later in life.

Knowles volunteers her time to write grants and organize the day-long event, but said she hopes the positive experience influences attendees to pursue higher education at 91传媒.

Groups bus in to campus from places like Monument, Prairie City and Milton-Freewater for half-a-dozen lower level and three upper level workshops led by teachers. 91传媒 student-teachers, those enrolled in the College of Education and in their final stage before graduating to classrooms of their own, often run three or four workshops at the event.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a great opportunity,鈥� Knowles said. 鈥淭hey get to run the same

Nancy Knowles, 91传媒 English Professor

lesson four times and tweak it, testing it with different kids.鈥�

Knowles recalled a favorite workshop where the teacher used a parachute, industrial fans, and fishbowl on an overhead projector to create an underwater experience for upper-level writers. She said the closing session remains the best part of the day, though.

鈥淭he Open Mic is always amazing,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou see these kids, in the course of a day, go from unsure to 鈥業 have something to say,鈥� and they鈥檙e standing there on stage in McKenzie with a microphone.鈥�

She said she plans to develop an online anthology chronicling the students鈥� work, but she鈥檚 most passionate about fostering connections among young writers as they find their unique voices.

Get Writing!

Draw a map of a favorite place. Label key features. Choose one of the key features, and write a story about something that happened there or that might happen there.