Writer's Lab: July 15—July 26, 2024
Good writing skills are essential for college and any professional career. The two-week residential Writer’s Lab provides a deep and vibrant immersion for high school students seeking to focus on sharpening and polishing their ability to articulate clearly and effectively.
The Program
This two-week workshop affords intensive writing opportunities for high school students who are interested in rich and engaging experiences. The primary goal of this course is to provide students with a chance to explore different modes of writing such as analytical, narrative, and creative. Through self-exploration and examinations of texts, students dive into the writing process and use discussion and reflection to shape their writing. Our faculty will work closely with students and provide hands-on instruction. Students will conference with peers and teachers as a means to polish their portfolios.
Formal and informal discussions are a staple of the course; students are charged with critically analyzing the text and incorporating newfound understandings into their own writing. Students will practice making arguments and supporting their ideas with textual evidence while they also review and practice various grammar rules, including composing clear and complete sentences, using appropriate punctuation, and coordinating subject, antecedent, and verb agreement.
Students leave this course with a more nuanced understanding of both analytical and creative writing techniques, rhetorical devices, and correct grammar as well as greater confidence in reading, thinking, and speaking critically about literature. At the conclusion of the session, students will create a final portfolio of their work, and parents will receive a report on the student's progress. Open to U.S. residents only.
Daily Schedule
Participants engage in five hours of classroom activities each day (the class size is limited to 12 students per section). In addition, they take part in a daily athletic program, as well as a variety of cultural, recreational, and extracurricular offerings, both on and off campus. Meals and housing are provided on campus. Each student is typically assigned one roommate of the same age and gender.
| 7:00—7:45 | Breakfast |
| 8:00—9:30 | Class |
| 9:30—10:00 | Assembly or Break |
| 10:00—11:30 | Class continued |
| 11:30—12:15 | Lunch |
| 12:30—2:00 | Afternoon Writing Studio |
| 2:00—3:15 | Free Time |
| 3:15—4:30 | Sports |
| 5:00—6:00 | Dinner |
| 6:00—8:00 | Free Time |
| 7:30—9:30 | Evening Activities or Homework |
| 10:15 | Dorm Check-in |
| 10:30 | Lights |
On the Weekend
Students remain on campus during the weekend to participate in special activities. On Saturday, students can participate in sightseeing, shopping, or cultural enrichment trips. Sunday is reserved for relaxing with friends on campus, at the athletic center, or for visiting local stores and restaurants or a nearby mall.