Unleash your creativity at NAU’s Young Authors Camp

Students can get creative with NAU’s Young Authors Camp, July 7-11. Plus, scholarships are available via Northern Arizona Book Festival.

Aspiring young writers in Northern Arizona have an exciting opportunity to hone their creative skills this summer. The Young Authors Camp at Northern Arizona University (NAU) offers a unique blend of hands-on writing experience, outdoor exploration, and artistic expression for secondary students, while also providing valuable teaching experience for NAU’s graduate students.

A creative writing adventure for young minds

The week-long camp, coordinated by NAU Assistant Teaching Professor of English Andie Lenhart, will run from July 7 to 11 at the Liberal Arts building #18, with daily sessions from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Students will explore various writing genres, including poetry, fiction, and non-fiction, while developing essential narrative skills.

“Students will be learning writing skills in all three genres,” Lenhart explained to The NAU Review. “They will work together to create a mini publication, including making the artwork. They will also learn revision and recitation skills since at the end of the camp they will choose a couple of pieces to read for parents and families.”

Daily activities and learning experiences

Each day begins with writing prompts tailored to specific themes. Participants receive their own camp journals and engage in outdoor activities across campus to enhance their nature writing and sensory detail skills. The afternoon sessions include one-on-one feedback from instructors, computer time for typing up work, and writing-related games. According to Lenhart, students typically dive into fiction-writing, building their own fantasy worlds.

Building fundamental writing skills

The camp focuses on developing crucial writing organization skills, an area where many students, including college freshmen, often face challenges. “Writers need to learn the parts of narrative structure and how to make an idea cohesive to put it on paper,” Lenhart notes. “Writing is a way to communicate ideas and share experiences and by learning those skills, they will gain confidence to project their voice and recite their work.”

Professional development for graduate students

NAU graduate students will be the teachers at camp this year, giving them experience working with young learners and creating their own curriculum.

Scholarships are available through the Northern Arizona Book Festival. Interested parties can contact [email protected] for registration information and questions about the camp.