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The
Creative Writing program, now entering its sixth academic
year encourages students to write imaginatively and to read
enthusiastically by placing more than 40 published authors
in direct contact with classes in grades 4-9. Since its inception,
more than 4500 students have participated in the program.
For many students in New York City' Community Districts #1,
#2 in Manhattan the program is their first realization that
authors are people and that people write books, articles and
poetry.
Each year
the program culminates with The Creative Writing Festival
where each class exhibits their works for parents, peers and
the public at The National Arts.
The Creative
Writing program is a positive influence on young people and
their ability to appreciate and understand the writing process.
For many young people the Creative Writing program is the
only direct contact they have with published authors. Exposure
to writers and to the creative process provides an enriching
experience for our students. When city kids visit the country,
they begin to understand that food is grown not just packaged
in a supermarket. Similarly, through participation in the
Creative Writing program, writing becomes not just a chore
to complete a book report, but an enjoyable and rewarding
exercise and a potential career path. Many of our students
write beautiful prose, poems or plays; some show a talent
for interviewing and others enjoy the investigative process
of writing a biography. Most of the students are better aware
of literature and the written word as a result of the program.
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