Red Oak Young Writers, llc

Time

Space

Support

They’re not easy to gift wrap, but they will be treasured for years to come: those moments spent at Creative Writing Camp or in our Teen Writers’ Circles. Now, you can encourage the young writer in your life by giving a Red Oak Young Writers Gift Certificate in the denomination of your choice.

Many thanks for the enthusiasm, creativity and generosity of our young writers who participated in camp at Mt. Mary College. You are an amazing bunch!

Visit our Facebook page to see more photos of our week together.

Twenty-six enthusiastic young people wrote up a storm at our Creative Writing Camp held at the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts, a fabulous venue for our camps! (Thanks, Wilson Center Staff!)

Find more photos at our Facebook Page.

It’s confirmed: Lots of young people LOVE to write and appreciate the opportunity to spend a week with others like them pursuing their shared passion.

All 4 weeks of our Creative Writing Camps are filled and registration is now closed.

Please try us (early) again next year!

Red Oak received this note from a parent of a Creative Writing Camp participant this week:

Alex and Amanda have both been to your summer writers’ camp at 10 Chimneys. It inspired them to create a place for teens to go to dream, to write, to play an instrument or create. I wanted you to know of your influence on these girls and perhaps you could use the space at Retzer for other workshops. Thank you for all of your work with youth!

The note was accompanied by a brochure titled “Creative Space: Finding Inspiration at Retzer Nature Center,” which describes this very special project created by Girl Scout Troop #2003. The Troop transformed a space located on the Blue Trail by adding flower beds and benches and published a brochure with ideas for inspiration:

“The new Creative Space at Retzer Nature Center is desigend to spark creativity and true art. There you can look out at the prairie around you and see only a great blue skyline. All around many prairie plants stand tall and quiet. It is a great place to just relax and watch the clouds go by.”

Congratulations to Troop #2003 providing this marvelous creative space to visitors to Retzer Nature Center! Thank you so much for sharing this great project with your community!

Are you planning to attend Creative Writing Camp, 2012?

Don’t wait any longer to get your registration in. Slots are filling fast!

Join these young writers  in reserving your spot today:

At the Wilson Center*

Eleanor

Taylor

Vivian

Rayna 

Anne

Sarah

Alli

Zachary

Jude

Jasmine

Steven

Emily

Hadi

Shagun

Ethan

Evan

Audrey

Cooper

Namitha

Lucia

Brody

At Mount Mary*

Spencer

Shelby

Sophie

Jessica

Deborah

Eliana

Alyssa

Elyse

Ellen

Bridget

Emily

Sarah

Bennett

Zahara

Mary

Maeve

Molly

Caroline

Holly

Maddie

Maclaren

At the Marian Center

Eric 

Clare

Abby

Madison

Maya

Mona

Yaseen

Alexandra

Meredith

Angel

Mark

Dylan

David

Max

Kellie

Clare

Raci

Maya

At 10 Chimneys

Jemma

Hazel

Alina

Ethan

Christine

Margaret

Danielle

Kali

Kendall

Brooke

Anna

Emily

Amy

Brendan

* Camp has a waiting list. Sometimes, campers’ schedules change and they have to bow out, so do send your registration and (refundable) check in case this should happen.

Registration form

Where Are They Now?

Challenge yourself: Can you match the Red Oak “grad” with his/her current endeavors?

Answers below.

a.) Angela O.   b.)  Alex L.    c.)  Alison P.   d.) Travis J.   e.) Laurel P.     f.) Rashad H.

g.)  Mo M.    h.) Rai T.   i.) Courtney S.

1. English/Theater major @ St. Olaf College & working on scripts for a “St. Olaf version of something like A Prairie Home Companion”
2. studying Criminal Justice & International Studies at UW Platteville
3. “practicing imposter skills in the College of Engineering . . . and ignoring [her] calling as a language arts instructor” as she gives writing advice to fellow students
4. in seminary school in Brookline, MA
5. studying English at Ripon College
6. studying to be a 6-12th grade Social Studies teacher with plans to use his writing skills to become part of the educational, film and history communities
7. working toward a History degree at Coe College and using Creative Writing talents as the fiction editor of the school’s literary magazine
8. studying Psychology and Creative Writing at Purdue
9. studying Creative Writing & Psychology at Coe College, writing short stories and “re-booting” his novel

Answers:

1. i
2. a
3. h
4. b
5. g
6. d
7. c
8. e
9. f

This might be the earliest we’ve received registrations yet!

Will you be joining the following Creative Writing Campers in 2012?

Abby M

Spencer J

Jemma K

Vivian W

Ethan S

Shelby S

New for 2012:

FOUR different locations for writers grades 5 – 12

to spend a week in the company of expert writing coaches

and other young people who love to write.

The Wilson Center for the Arts, Brookfield (gr 5-8)

Mount Mary College, Milwaukee (gr 5-8)

RedBird-RedOak Writing, Milwaukee (gr 9-12)

Ten Chimneys Estate, Genesee Depot (gr 9-12)

Follow this link to learn more….

Today we received this thank you note from a recipient of financial aid for Creative Writing Camp. To those who contributed to our fund, here is the experience you helped create for a very special young person:

Photo by Bill Lizdas

To some, writing is torture. Some can’t stand to even have to spell out a whole sentence, can’t bear it. Their minds ache at the pure thought of it. Writing, to these people, can only be defined as agony. Yet, I am different. To me, writing is a light, at the end of the lonely black cave, a window worth living for; pure opportunity. And to write, you need encouragement, something that shows you’re not alone with this feeling, this picture painted in your mind. You need a way to get advice, help, something that boosts you forward, and keeps you from frustration.  I have been given all of these necessities to writing, all in four plain, simple words. Red, Oak, Young, Writers. It has ignited and kept that light at the end of the tunnel burning. Now it can never burn out, all because of your support of the Red Oak Young Writers Scholarship Fund. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to write, learn, and move forward. I wouldn’t have gotten it, on account of my father losing his job, without you stepping forward. Thank you.