Special Projects -- Overview

The Young Writers Project has several special projects planned for the coming year AND special opportunities for interested students. Here's a listing of what's coming and a few of the best of what we've done.

Special writing projects in 2008/09:

Vermont's Future. This is a special prompt in partnership with the Council on Vermont’s Future. Five essays will be selected for $50 awards and special presentation and publication of the work. Write a 500-750 word essay that answers any, some or all of these questions:

1. What does it mean to be a Vermonter?
2. What is the one thing you would change about Vermont?
3. If you could live here in 10 years, would you? Why or why not?
4. What is the most important thing to you about life in Vermont?
5. How has growing up in Vermont affected your life/your outlook?

Your essays can be narrative or persuasive, but they should come from your experience and your observation. Deadline: Nov. 21. For more, click here.

Quadricentennial Project. YWP is partnering with Burlington City Arts and Champlain College to focus some writing and other activities around the 400th anniversary of Samuel de Champlain's arrival at the lake that now bears his name. For some historical perspective, click here. More links and more information to come. The prompts, Discovery, First Encounter and Border Crossings, are due throughout the year. Click here, for more information on the YWP Prompts for 2008/09.

Six Pieces in Six Words in Six Minutes. This is an exciting partnership with Vermont Symphony Orchestra: Six students had their six-word short stories chosen; those pieces were given to a young composer who has written one-minute pieces of music for each. In early December, in two concerts, students will read the pieces and the Vermont Symphony Orchestra will play one-minute musical interpretations of each. Check in for more details this fall. We will be publishing other six-minute pieces throughout the year.

Cash Awards. We have cash awards this year for the Vermont's Future, Quadricentennial prompts, Farming and Lyrics prompts. Click here, for more information on the YWP Prompts for 2008/09.

PodSlam, 7 Minutes of Writing, Election Blogs and more.... Throughout September, we will be announcing a number of additional special projects. Please check into this site and space!

Ongoing NEW projects:

DIGITAL WRITING CLASSROOMS. Does your writing club, school, class or nonprofit organization want a special Web site for writing? YWP has developed inexpensive Web site solutions that allow students to share their writing, comment on each other's work and get feedback from teachers and others. To find out more, go to ywpvt.net where you can read more about it and can watch a video of student reaction. If this is something that interests you, please email or call (802.324.9539) YWP Director Geoffrey Gevalt.

MASTER'S COURSE In addition, YWP is offering a Master's Level course worth three credits and accredited through St. Michael's College for teachers; the course will include an Online Writing Classroom Web site to be used in the teacher's classroom during the year. For more: email or call (802.324-9539) YWP Director Geoffrey Gevalt.

PODCASTING. We have high quality digital recorders for loan to schools, nonprofit groups or individual students for use in journalism projects and audio storytelling. If this is something that interests you, please email or phone (802.324-9539) YWP Director Geoffrey Gevalt. In the meantime, if you want to try your hand at podcasting, feel free to do so on this site.

“MY LIFE” radio commentaries. YWP is partnering with Vermont Public Radio for an ongoing series for radio broadcast. We are looking for conversational stories or commentary on events or moments in your lives. Focus on one topic that engages you, where you feel you have something to say in which others would be interested. VPR will record, produce and air the selected writer reading his or her piece for the morning news shows! If you are interested, email Geoffrey Gevalt, YWP director. For more information and guidelines, click here.

STUDENT JUDGING. Do you like writing and reading? Are you a critical thinker? Help the YWP choose the best student submissions for publication in newspapers and on the Web site. All work submitted to YWP is judged by students online under the guidance of Lee McIsaac, the YWP’s content coordinator. This year, YWP also will have Judging in the Classroom. We will come to your classroom and have students read the finalists and choose which ones should get published.
Student judges will be asked to judge only a few times during the year. If you're interested, e-mail Lee McIsaac, the YWP content coordinator, or call 802.324-9539.

COLLEGE MENTORS. Top students from St. Michael’s College, the University of Vermont, Castleton State College and Middlebury College will be providing feedback on most of the student entries submitted this year. If you are a college student and are interested, contact Geoffrey Gevalt, YWP Editor. For more, click here.

Past Projects:

The China Project: The Young Writers Project led this multi-media project that involved several dozen students in the Vermont Youth Orchestra which went on a performing tour of China in the summer of 2007. This project involved workshops, a multi-media blog and resulted in student work published in newspapers, on Vermont Public Radio and Vermont Public Television and on stage at First Night/Burlington. Link to all parts of the project. This project gives you an idea of the power and potential of doing a project on the Web.