Greenburgh’s Kids Short Story Connection (KSSC) has launched its 24th year of Saturday morning creative writing workshops for children who love to write. Sarah Bracey White, Greenburgh’s Director of Arts and Culture (and a widely published author herself) says that “If a child loves acting, they audition for the school play or join a theater company. If they love sports, they join the school team. But what do youngsters do who love to write? A long-ago visit from a nine-year-old writer led me to design a program where young writers can form a connection with and learn from other like-minded souls.”
KSSC is a series of writing workshops designed to cultivate the creative lives of youngsters between 9 and 18 years old who LOVE to write. In peer-assigned workshops, groups of 10 or less kids meet in person on alternating Saturday mornings in two-hour roundtable workshops led by experienced writers/teachers. In each age-appropriate workshop, participants improve old stories and write new ones. They learn about writing techniques, read their works aloud and learn how to offer constructive criticism to one another.
“While our teachers correct things, they don’t change things,” says White. “The workshops are a nurturing haven for children who love to write, not a place for kids whose parents want them to learn to write better. Our teachers encourage kids to write about or create anything writing-related during the workshops. Some kids draw pictures to accompany their stories or write songs and poems. Our goal is to produce the next generation of writers in writing-related fields – as well as nourish creativity that will spill over into any future careers these young writers pursue.”
ArtsWestchester is a long-time supporter of the Kids Short Story Connection. Participants share their original stories and poems with family and friends at an annual public reading. A printed edition, or an online e-Zine, of participants’ original work is published annually.
To apply for a spot in KSSC, young writers must submit two pieces of original writing: fiction, nonfiction or school reports. Participation is open to young writers outside the Greenburgh area. For more information, contact Sarah Bracey White at (914) 682-1574 or via email at bracey0114@aol.com.
