Creative Writing Programs for Youth
Fostering Creative Writing Opportunities for High School Age Students
The Nature of Words has launched new programs to foster creative writing opportunities for youth in traditional education settings and at-risk youth in alternative academic programs.
 With an awareness of the critical need for more creative writing opportunities for high school and at-risk youth in the region, The Nature of Words is collaborating with regional schools, academic programs and organizational partners to introduce these enriching programs to Central Oregon. Studies show that the ability to articulate, to reflect on one’s experiences in life through writing, improve critical thinking skills, develop lifetime readers and raise the level of discussion in important ways among high school age youth. Further, a recent survey of 120 blue-chip American companies found that a third of employees wrote poorly, a problem businesses spend more than $3 billion a year to correct. Creative writing skills foster good business writing and communication skills that support career goals.
Jim Churchill-Dicks, English teacher at Crook County High School, said, "In light of the scarcity that schools are experiencing, the generosity of The Nature of Words has been a gift to my students."
A Two-Pronged Program
Starting in November 2008, The Nature of Words implemented a two-pronged programs: one focus on traditional classroom settings and another serving “at-risk youth”
The curriculum has been developed by The Nature of Words staff, applying proven principles from programs such as Portland's Writers In The Schools, and rubrics established by the State of Oregon for creative writing instruction. The program will address and compare poetry, fiction and nonfiction through readings and writing exercises.
Regional authors supply the instructional expertise for the workshops. Students will be encouraged to present their work to the community at the conclusion of their workshops.
From a Sisters Academy student: "I became really proud of myself and amazed at how well I could write."
 The schools and remedial programs targeted for the program are also served by Arts Central, which places visual artists in the regional schools, and Caldera, a youth program that provides underserved Oregon children with year-round, long-term mentoring through arts and nature projects, beginning at age eleven and continuing through young adulthood. The Nature of Words will work with Atelier 6000, a printmaking studio for the public, in illustrating the Rising Star anthology, as well as work by students in the year-round creative writing programs.
Ellen Waterston, Director of The Nature of Words, an author and writing instructor, has worked extensively with high school and at-risk youth and plays a key role in the design and delivery of the curriculum. The Nature of Words has met with Writers In The Schools, Oregon’s statewide coordination effort of these programs, and is adapting their experience to fit the needs of this region.
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