Program Description

Kent School

Summer Writers Camp
Kent, Connecticut


		Program Description Program Overview Visit Web Site Get Free Info See Photos

For More Information, Contact
Meredith Schipani
Summer Writers Camp Admissions Director
Kent School
1 Macedonia Road
Kent, Connecticut 06757
860-538-KENT (5368)
Fax: 860-927-6109
http://www.writerscamp.org
E-mail: schipanim@kent-school.edu

Type of Program: Educational program
Participants: Coed, grades 7–10
Enrollment: 50
Program Dates: July 5–24, 2009
Head of Program: Todd Marble, Founder

Location

The Kent School campus is surely one of the most beautiful in the country. Its idyllic western Connecticut setting in the foothills of the Berkshires offers campers the best of natural living. Nestled along the winding Housatonic River at the foot of dramatic Mount Algo, the 1,200-acre campus is a short walk from the picturesque town of Kent and near the Appalachian Trail.

Background and Philosophy

Whether a poem, a play, or a piece of science fiction, writing is a powerful way to express ideas and passions. At Kent School Summer Writers Camp, young writers come from all over the world to find their voices, hone their craft, and gain the confidence to share their work in a fun, supportive atmosphere.
    In a small Morning Workshop taught by a professional writer, students explore their own voice through a variety of written forms. They have the opportunity to delve more deeply into a genre of their choice in an Afternoon Writing Studio led by a writer with expertise in that particular form. They also have the chance to share their work in camp publications and spoken-word venues.
    When students are not writing or making new friends, they are enjoying a variety of art forms and athletic activities from soccer to rowing.
    Kent School Summer Camp accepts students without regard to race, color, creed, or national or ethnic origin and so administers its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarships and loan programs, athletic policies, and other school-administered policies.

Program Offerings

Each day is divided into three general activity periods—Morning Workshop, Afternoon Writing Studio, and recreational activities—followed by an optional swim in Kent School’s indoor pool to help cool down in late afternoon. Throughout the day, there is plenty of time for snacks, visiting, and downtime.
    In Morning Workshop, students explore a variety of genres, including poetry, short story, essay, memoir, and science fiction. In Afternoon Writing Studio, there is a more intensive concentration in the writing form of choice. Recent offerings have included songwriting, journalism, poetry, fantasy, playwriting, and personal essay/memoir.
    In Workshops and Writing Studios, which have a maximum enrollment of 10, students investigate all stages of the creative writing process—from the first spark of an idea to a finished piece worthy of an audience. They learn techniques for generating ideas and how to organize their thoughts and polish their work. In an environment of trust and exploration, they discover and refine individual writing practice through daily writing exercises. These range from spontaneous, 5-minute “flash fiction” pieces to work that calls on a deeper level of thought and feeling, such as a poem cycle or a personal essay about an earliest memory. As the program progresses, students have the opportunity to develop or complete, with a teacher’s guidance, any longer work they may have already begun. Through it all, constructive feedback from teachers and peers helps students become stronger, more confident writers.
    The Visiting Artists Series introduces students to other artistic disciplines through a four-part series of performances and workshops. The visiting artists explore with students the creative process and connections among the arts. Working in a variety of art forms, including music, dance, and visual arts, they challenge students to take creative risks, experiment, and improvise.
    On Visiting Writers Day, campers have the unique opportunity to meet and learn from several dynamic authors. These professional writers spend the day at Kent working with campers in small groups. Each writer leads an interactive seminar during Morning Workshop, and in the afternoon, visiting writers and students participate together in a reading for the camp community.
    As students develop as writers over the course of three weeks, they may want to share their work. One great venue for doing this is Café Kent, the School’s on-campus evening coffeehouse series, where the young writers show friends and teachers what they have created. In addition to spoken word, Café Kent showcases individual and group performances that may include music, comedy, dance, and theater.
    Students also have the opportunity to publish their creative writing in the camp’s literary journal, Paper Café, as well as the camp newspaper and individual and class chapbooks and on the camp’s Web site.
    Students choose one sport or art activity for each of two 8-day sessions. These 1-hour afternoon recreational activities are coed and noncompetitive and include basketball, soccer, water sports, rowing, and tennis. The camp provides all equipment except tennis rackets. Art activities have included painting, drawing, and performing arts. Students are encouraged to bring musical instruments, and all campers have access to Kent School’s abundant resources.

Enrollment

There are 50 girls and boys participating in the Summer Writers Camp, entering grades 7–10.
One of the best parts of life for students at Kent Writers Camp is making friends with people they might otherwise never meet. Here, the sounds of many accents and regional dialects blend into the communal voice of a writers’ colony, because in addition to most of the fifty U.S. states, young writers come from such countries as Aruba, Brazil, Canada, China, England, France, Germany, Guam, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, and Thailand.

Daily Schedule

6:45
7:15
7:30
8:00–8:30
8:30–9:30
9:45
10:15–11:15
11:45
12:15–1:15
1:30–2:30
3:00–4:00
4:15–5:00
4:00–5:00
5:30
6:30–7:30
8:00–9:00
9:30
9:45
10:00

Wake-up exercises (optional)
Rising bell
Breakfast
Nurse’s office hours
Morning Workshop
Snack break
Midmorning Workshop
Lunch
Reading/computer lab/extra help
Afternoon Writing Studio
Recreational activities
Swim and play time
Nurse’s office hours
Dinner
Visiting Artist Workshop/group activities/student readings
Evening study
Dorm closing
Lights out for grades 7–9
Lights out for grade 10

Extra Opportunities and Activities

On the second and third Sundays of camp, students hop a bus for an exciting day trip to a nearby theater or other recreational venue. Recent summer performances have included productions at Shakespeare & Co. in Lennox, Massachusetts, and the Powerhouse Summer Theater at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York.
During the week, students head to such local attractions as Lake Waramaug State Park. Saturday evenings are filled with dances and trips to an in-line-skating rink and video arcade. Of course, campfires and storytelling round out the communal fun.

Facilities

Through camp dorm life, students get to know the independence, responsibility, and excitement of a boarding school experience. Comfortable and modern boys’ and girls’ dorms are supervised by experienced resident faculty members and college-aged teaching fellows. Each dorm has a common area where campers can meet and hang out with friends. Rooms are furnished with writing desks and bureaus, and all are equipped with bedding and linens.
Classes are held in air-conditioned Foley Hall. Computer writing labs are available for writing and research. The John Gray Park Library has 50,000 volumes and 125 periodicals. Recreational facilities include a 25-yard, six-lane pool; the Fitness Center; thirteen outdoor clay tennis courts; four indoor tennis courts; two basketball courts, three squash courts, and a state-of-the-art rowing center.

Staff

Summer program faculty members are drawn from Kent and other top independent schools and universities. As published authors, poets, and journalists, they know how to help students grow as writers. Because each teacher is aided by a teaching assistant (many of whom are English majors at top U.S. colleges), students receive lots of individual attention throughout the program. Since teachers and their assistants live on campus during the program, they are available throughout the day and evening for questions and conversation.
Todd Marble, the camp's founder and director, received his B.A. from Colby College and his M.A. from Trinity College. Mr. Marble is Kent School’s Athletics Director and Director of Summer Programs as well as a coach. He developed the Kent School Summer Writers Camp and has directed it since its inception in 1996. He taught mathematics for seven years at Kingswood-Oxford School, where he was the third-form master and served on the admissions staff. Mr. Marble is an avid outdoorsman and sports enthusiast.
Julia Bolus, the camp’s Academic Director and teacher, received her B.A. from Connecticut College. Ms. Bolus, in her eleventh year as the camp’s Academic Director, works with the Arthur Miller Literary and Dramatic Property Trust. A play based on her collection of poems, Circus of Infinite Attractions, premiered off-Broadway at the International Fringe Festival. Ms. Bolus also works with the Inge Morath Foundation and cocurated the exhibit Free to American Schools: Photography by Inge Morath.

Medical Care

Around-the-clock security is provided to ensure Kent School’s safe, friendly atmosphere. A registered nurse is available daily throughout the program, and a local doctor is always on call. Excellent hospital facilities are within easy reach in nearby Sharon and New Milford. Emergency calls to or from students are channeled through the director’s office. Pay phones, located in dorm hallways, are available for student use. All emergency and dorm phone numbers are mailed to parents before the start of camp.

Costs

The inclusive fee for boarding students is $2900. Before students arrive, they are advised to establish a student bank account for their discretionary use during camp. The suggested amount for an account is $125, and limited withdrawals are allowed, provided the account has a balance.

Application Timetable

Potential campers can apply online at http://www.writerscamp.org. In addition to the application, students should send a handwritten writing sample (no more than one page), a school transcript, and a recommendation from the school principal, guidance counselor, or current teacher. There is a $25 application fee, with the check made payable to Kent School Summer Writers Camp.