Youth Classes

High School
Writing the College Admissions Essay
F10-Y01
4 Thursdays, 6:30-8:00 p.m.
October 1 through 22
$99 W&B members/$110 general public
Instructor: Wendy Low
Learn to write impressive essays for admission applications, the kind that wow admissions officers by what you say and how you say it. Learn to advertise you: creative, curious, intelligent, hard-working, and involved. Bring your questions about college applications and any specific essay questions from schools where you want to apply. We will practice with the real thing.

Ages 8-12
Young Writers’ Club
F10-Y02
9 Wednesdays 3:45-5:00 p.m.
Sept. 30- Dec. 9 (no class Nov. 11 or 25)
$89 W&B members/$99 general public
Instructor: Sally Bittner Bonn
You know that you are a writer. You could use the inspiration and support of a good writing instructor, a time and place to focus on your writing, and a group of friends who are also writers. In Young Writers’ Club, we will play with many creative forms, including different styles of poetry, fiction, and journal writing. We will get acquainted with techniques used by great authors, try in-class exercises to get our writing minds purring, and learn how to give each other feedback that is helpful for revising and finishing our pieces. And, finally, we will publish a small book of our work and have a presentation for our friends and families on the last day.

Ages: 13-16
Teen Fiction Writers’ Circle
F10-Y03
7 Sundays, 1:30-4:00 p.m.
September 20, October 4 & 18, November 1, 15, & 29, December 6
$139 W&B members/$150 general public
Instructor: Wendy Low
Twice a month, avid and accomplished teen writers meet to explore new approaches to their craft, give each other feedback under the guidance of published writers, and plot world domination…or at least the future domination of the publishing industry! Guests are brought in by the facilitator according to the interests and needs of the group. Poetic and dramatic exercises will also be offered to strengthen specific prose fiction skills, and free tickets to targeted events will be given.

Ages 8-12
Merlin Stories: Adventures in Camelot
F10-Y04
6 Tuesdays 4:00-5:15 p.m.
September 22 through October 27
$99 W&B members/$110 general public
Instructor: Marna Rossi
Explore the magical, mysterious adventures of Merlin and the medieval characters of Camelot. Discover secrets from the age of knights, wizards and enchantresses and create your own Merlin adventure. There are many different roles in the castles and towns of the middle ages; choose among them to create your characters who will then become the heroes and antagonists of the stories you will write. We will use the visual arts, music, creative writing and storytelling to make our tales come alive. You might even design your own coat of arms! On the final day, like a bard, dramatically tell your story to
family and friends.

Ages 8-12
Ahoy Maties: Pirate Theater!
F10-Y05
6 Saturdays, 10-11:30 a.m.
October 17 through November 21
$105 W&B members/$115 general public
Instructor: Marna Rossi
Hoist your sail to discover the treasure of pirate stories! Join a crew of swashbucklers who enjoy reading the tales of scalawag pirates and pirate queens, like Captain McHook and Pirate Jenny. Explore the lore of pirates, pirate lingo and the pirate code. Write a pirate log. Interview a pirate. With your mates, read pirate scripts and enliven them with creative ideas. Add a sea chantey or a picaroon (humorous pirate verse). Discover the drama in you! Bring the tales to life with theater and skit-building tools. Clear the decks for a zany pirate theater production for family and friends on the last day!

Ages 7-9 (6 with instructor permission)
Animals Alive: A Creative Exploration of 5 Biomes and the Animals That Live Within Them
F10-Y06
5 Saturdays, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
September 19 - October 17
$115 W&B members/$127 general public
Instructor: Annette Ramos
Are you an avid animal lover? Nuts about nature? Curious and creative? In this engaging workshop which ties science and social studies with creative writing and reading, students will explore and write creatively about 5 biomes. You will hear animal stories from temperate & tropical forests, desert, water and arctic habitats. Then you will tap into your own creativity to write your own fables, poems and animal stories.

HOMESCHOOL CLASS:
Ages 8-10 (7 with instructor permission)
Let’s Write!
F10-Y07
12 Thursdays 1:45-3:00 p.m.
September 17-December 10 (no class November 26)
$199 W&B members/$220 general public
Instructor: Wendy Low
Writing is an amazing tool for exploring our view of the world and developing our minds. This workshop is designed to nurture and add to your strengths as a writer by guiding you through a variety of methods and exercises used by adult authors. We will use journals to support the writerly habits of noting interesting observations, using clear, vivid language, and thinking deeply. You will learn how to finish stories and poems you begin, and, best of all, you will come together with a community of young writers to share your ideas and insights.

HOMESCHOOL CLASS:
Ages 11-14
Write Where You Are
F10-Y08
13 Tuesdays, 1:30-3:00 p.m.
September 22-December 8
$184/ members/$203 general public
Instructor: Wendy Low
You are a dedicated, creative writer. This course will allow you to dig in, explore new approaches to craft, share your work with others, and learn to give and make use of effective feedback under the guidance of an encouraging teacher. Inspiring writing prompts will help generate new work, and revision sessions will help turn a good piece of work into a great one. Whether it’s poetry, fiction, journaling or another genre, your words are welcome here.

Ages 6-8; families welcome
Magic Tree House Picnic
F10-Y09
One Saturday at Gell, 11:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
October 3
$39 W&B members/$45 general public
Instructor: Marna Rossi

A Tree House
A tree house, a free house,
A secret you and me house,
A high up in the leafy branches
Cozy as can be house.
A street house, a neat house,
Be sure and wipe your feet house
Is not my kind of house at all~
Let’s go live in a tree house.
—Shel Silverstein

Come join us for exciting, creative activities at the Gell Center tree house! Explore nature and play multicultural games. Enjoy the antics of tree house puppets. Hear interactive stories and music, and create crafts from tree house cultures. Bring a picnic lunch. Families are welcome to join in the activities or explore the grounds at the Gell Center. Join us in our classroom in the trees!

High School
Slam High
F10-Y10
2 Tuesdays per month for three months, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
September 8 & 22, October 6 & 20, November 3 & 17
$99 W&B members/ $110 general public
Instructor: Reenah L. Golden
Join a group of like-minded teens who are developing their skills as spoken word poets for performances and slams. We will sample video and audio performances by prominent poets. We will get ideas for new ways to approach creating work, try new techniques, give each other feedback on work in progress and videotape ourselves to see where we can improve. The second class of each month leads up to the 25 & Under Reading Series (free admission), which will be an opportunity to watch a showcase of various styles of local young writers and perform at an open mic.

READERS’ THEATRE SERIES:
The Open Book and Inner Voice
Readers Theater is a conversation which combines group oral interpretation and “bare bones” theater in ways that communicate the full intellectual, emotional, and aesthetic content of literature to an audience. For each age group, this series will introduce easily grasped, thought-provoking, engaging stories and convey those stories in a form that is enjoyable both for the readers—who need no costumes, props, or staging—as well as for the audience who need only bring an open mind and their imagination.

Participation in Readers Theater promotes healthy communication and enhances the ability to speak and perform in front of a group. Through creative and joyful activities, students’ reading fluency improves. Students will be exposed to a vast array of literature including plays, short stories, poems, letters, novels, essays, diaries, newspaper columns and even comic strips. On the last day of each class, families and friends will be invited to a performance.

Readers’ Theatre Series
Ages 6-8
Mother Earth’s Children
F10-Y11
Six Saturdays, 10 – 11:30 a.m.
October 24-December 5 (no class November 28)
$105 W&B members/$115 general public
Instructor: Almeta Whitis
Through artistic expression, we will honor the Earth. Themes will include ecology and the environment, and the choices we make in relationship to our environment. We will use stories from our earth to get to know our home better and to foster our desire to protect this planet.

Readers’ Theatre Series
Ages 8-12
Journey to the Inner Self
F10-Y12
Six Thursdays, 4:00-5:30 p.m.
October 8-November 12
$105 W&B members/$115 general public
Instructor: Almeta Whitis
Here we will venture inward and explore themes of self confidence and the ways in which it can be challenged. We will use the power of story and self expression to conquer peer pressure and self doubt. We will gain a better understanding of ourselves by looking at the way we learn and how we interact and engage with others.

Readers’ Theatre Series
Ages 12-15
Broadening Horizons
F10-Y13
Six Wednesdays, 3:45-5:15 p.m.
September 23-October 28
$105 W&B members/$115 general public
Instructor: Almeta Whitis
You’re a teenager now, or nearly. It’s time to learn how to explore the box and to think outside of it. Together, we will explore the literary world through an innovative introduction to classical literature. This Readers’ Theatre course will help ease your transition to high school and eventually college by creatively engaging your mind and imagination through the use of traditional texts.

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