Typical Workshop Structure:
Our summer workshops are designed for avid writers and non-writers alike, providing creative inspiration, skill-building, and a welcome community for personal expression. By participating in a summer course, each student will be able to submit to the upcoming Finch Fall Magazine.
Warm-Up:
Because writing is inherently social and personal, providing a safe, inclusive community is essential. Each workshop kicks off with a light, engaging warm-up to get everyone’s writing muscles moving, followed by a discussion of ideas to spark thinking.
Read:
Writers best learn to emulate when they’re exposed to curated literary examples displaying a range of author choices. Each class, we introduce a curated mentor text, which spotlights a specific technique, style, lesson within the theme of the class.
Spark:
Each reading example is paired with a writing prompt (developed by writers themselves) designed to be fresh, focused, and inspiring, while honoring the students’ decisions and ideas, allowing them to be self-led and develop their own agency and authentic voice.
Write:
Like any skill, students need to maintain a regular writing habit. During an extended writing period, instructors provide coaching focusing on the cyclical and experimental process of writing (brainstorming, drafting, revising, and editing) rather than rigid instruction.
Share:
We then group together to share our pieces aloud. While sharing is always optional, most students naturally participate as they grow more comfortable in the culture of feedback. Dictating not only builds confidence, but also helps students develop a “writer’s ear,” improving their language and sentence flow.
Wrap-Up
To further build continuity and engagement, we finish each class with a final reading/writing prompt so that students leave excited and ready for the next day ahead!
Week 1: July 13th-17th
In the world of sports, journalism is a powerful tool for attracting and engaging fans. Stories of struggle, triumph, and the human experience of athletes create deep emotional connections between fans and their heroes. For our sports fanatics who love to write or are curious to learn, our Sports Journalism workshop is dedicated to teaching the basics of strong sports journalism, with an emphasis on diversity of topics, responsible research, and punching towards a memorable message. ($395)
(9:00am-11:30am) 6th-12th Grade
Sports Journalism
Week 2: July 20th-24th
Our Intro to Writing course is solely devoted to developing writing fundamentals, story structure, punctuation/grammar, and igniting a genuine passion for writing! Full of inspiring readings and writing prompts, the primary purpose is to plant a seed of interest, so that our 3rd-6th graders see writing as a useful and fun practice rather than a chore. Perfect for all writers, fiction or nonfiction based, within the appropriate age bracket. ($395)
9:00am-11:30am 3rd-5th Grade
Intro to Writing
Forget the hero—it’s time to join the dark side! In our high-energy Monsters & Villains workshop, students will transform their “bad guy” character ideas into complicated villains with rich backstories, twisted story arcs, and deep hidden agendas. Through detailed character sketching, exercises and reading examples, we’ll learn the art of unraveling the antagonist on the page so well that the audience might actually root for them. ($395)
12:00pm-2:30pm 3rd-5th Grade
Monsters & Villains
Week 3: July 27th-31st
The Finch Classic is our original recipe — a broadly appealing writing workshop with a vibrant creative community for learning. This workshop is ideal for students with any range of interest in writing. The purpose is to engage writing practice, nurture imagination, and build character through sharing and discussion. Over the course of the week, students are sparked by exercises and mentor texts. Perfect for all students, whether they’re inspired by storytelling, or are simply looking for a place to hone their skills and an audience to share with. ($395)
9:00am-11:30am 6th-12th Grade
Finch Classic
Our Fantasy/Worldbuilding workshop is an intensive, hands-on program designed to guide aspiring authors through the systematic creation of immersive and believable fictional settings. Participants move beyond simple backdrops to develop comprehensive universes, meticulously detailing every facet of their imagined world: from physical geography, climate, and ecosystems to complex social structures, unique cultural norms, political systems, and the underlying rules of magic or technology. ($395)
12:00pm-2:30pm 6th-12th Grade
Fantasy/Worldbuilding
Week 4: August 3rd-7th
This creative Playwriting workshop guides students of all levels through the fundamental building blocks of dramatic writing: character development, living dialogue, conflict, and stagecraft. Through a series of weekly writing prompts and in-class exercises, participants will generate original dramatic material, ranging from monologues to one-act plays. A core focus of the class is the collaborative workshop environment, where writers hear their work read aloud and learn to provide and receive constructive feedback. ($395)
9:00am-11:30am 6th-12th Grade
Playwriting
Week 5: August 10th-14th
Our Intro to Writing course is solely devoted to developing writing fundamentals, story structure, punctuation/grammar, and igniting a genuine passion for writing! Full of inspiring readings and writing prompts, the primary purpose is to plant a seed of interest, so that our 3rd-6th graders see writing as a useful and fun practice rather than a chore. Perfect for all writers, fiction or nonfiction based, within the appropriate age bracket. ($395)
9:00am-11:30am 3rd-6th Grade
Intro to Writing
Designed to foster a lifelong love of literature, our Master Reader workshop focuses on building essential habits like making deep text-to-self connections, predicting plot twists, and analyzing how characters respond to challenges. Students will sharpen their comprehension through interactive read-alouds, discussion, and exercises. By exploring different points of view and sharing their findings in a supportive reading community, learners will gain the confidence to tackle more complex texts with curiosity and joy. ($395)
12:00pm-2:30pm 3rd-6th Grade
Master Reader
Week 6: August 17th-21st
The Finch Classic is our original recipe — a broadly appealing writing workshop with a vibrant creative community for learning. This workshop is ideal for students with any range of interest in writing. The purpose is to engage writing practice, nurture imagination, and build character through sharing and discussion. Over the course of the week, students are sparked by exercises and mentor texts. Perfect for all students, whether they’re inspired by storytelling, or are simply looking for a place to hone their skills and an audience to share with. ($395)
9:00am-11:30am 6th-12th Grade
Finch Classic
In our Suspense & Thriller class we’ll learn to invent mysterious characters, create eerie settings, and plot thrilling twists to craft heart-pounding tales. Perfect for 6th-12th graders eager to master the art of keeping readers on the edge of their seats, we'll explore powerful techniques like unreliable narrators, cliffhangers, foreshadowing, and dramatic irony to build tension and deliver satisfying story arcs to leave your audience breathless! ($395)
12:00pm-2:30pm 6th-12th Grade
Suspense & Thriller
Week 7: August 24th-28th
The best writers are readers. It’s the most effective way to develop basic instincts as well as improve story shape, punctuation, flow, and imagination. Our Honors AP Reading prep course provides an intensive foundation for students preparing to excel in AP English Literature and Language programs. Through the analytical study of literary texts and sophisticated non-fiction, students will master the critical reading and rhetorical analysis skills necessary for college-level inquiry. ($395)
9:00am-11:30am 8th-12th Grade
Honors AP Reading
The College Essay is one of the most daunting and often misunderstood assignments in a student’s life. However, at their best, they're honest, open, tightly crafted, and most of all memorable. This workshop is dedicated to helping students think, formulate, and develop strong college essays with substance and unique style. It is your unique opportunity to introduce yourself to admissions committees who must comb through thousands of applications each year. Get a head start now! ($395)
12:00pm-2:30pm 6th-12th Grade