Over the past two weeks, four sets of campers attended a weeklong writing camp: 826LA’s 2020 Write On! Workshop Camp.
This year’s theme: Summer Dreams.
With tons of writing activities and lessons, dance breaks, and Zoom sessions, this year’s Summer camp was one for the books. Below you’ll take a dive into the amazing week led by this year’s Americorp VISTA Summer Associates.
826LA gets Summer ready
Even before the start of the 2020 WO!W Camp Camp, our team was hard at work preparing learning materials, art supplies, stickers, and snacks for our campers to pick up or have delivered.
Our camp dreams come true
Monday: Welcome to WO!W Camp
WO!W Camp opened with a glimpse into the week (Tik Tok-style!), cloud crowns, and mind maps–a community-building activity that celebrated students’ individuality while highlighting how much they also have in common.
Tuesday: Superheroes and villains and writing, oh my!
On Tuesday, we were joined by Spider-Man, Sheego, Maleficent, and more! Students and volunteers played dress-up as superheroes and villains. Writing in the second person, our heroes dreamed up the perfect tools to help them escape nightmares and gave detailed instructions for how to use them.
Wednesday: Storyboards provide visuals for your dreams
Dressed as the animals of their dreams, students used storyboards to write fantastic adventures for their favorite animals.
After Wednesday’s workshop, every student knew that whether you want to write a story, pitch a movie idea to a Hollywood exec, or become a YouTuber, storyboards are a powerful tool.
Thursday: A dynamic duo
In what was arguably one of the most popular activities, campers paired watercolor art with haikus poems to convey their dreams, opinions, and ideas. Check out this haiku:
Social media
Does not have to be hurtful
It can set you free
–Yaretzi H. and Joseph A.S.
Friday: There’s no party like an 826LA release party!
On the last day of camp, students took the (virtual) stage and proudly read their newly published work to other campers, staff, volunteers, and their families. This is also the day students first saw their work published on our website for everyone to read.
Student Writing
From designing gadgets that help you escape nightmares to imagining the lives of animals to expressing themselves with watercolor haikus, Write On! Campers dreamed up all the amazing pieces on this page.
The Dream Team Behind WO!W Camp
Find out more about the amazing team of Summer Associates, AmeriCorps VISTA members who support our summer programming here.