Hudson Valley Writing Project

Young Writers Programs: Summer 2024

Experience the power of writing this summer! The Hudson Valley Writing Project brings  young people together to find their voices, share ideas, and experience the joy of writing.

View and share our electronic program flier.

Leer en español - coming soon!

 AGES 7-9

MAKING BOOKS

Enjoy a week reading the best picture books around! We'll notice and name what other authors and illustrators do in order to write and draw our very own picture books. 

SUNY New Paltz | July 8-12 | 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. | $295

 

EXPLORING NATURE THROUGH ART & WRITING 

Part nature walks. Part art studio. Plenty of writing! Together, we will explore the wonders of nature outside to inspire our artistic expression and beautiful words inside. 

SUNY New Paltz | July 15-19 | 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. | $295

 

NATURE WRITERS & EXPLORERS
Join us as we explore pond, stream, forest, and meadow habitats, writing in and about nature. We’ll learn about local animals and how we can create environments that support them.

Environmental Cooperative at Vassar Barns. Poughkeepsie | July 22-26 | 9 am-1 pm | $295

 

EVERYONE IS A WRITER

SUNY New Paltz

Our imaginations will soar as we learn to think like writers, experimenting with many kinds of writing and gathering inspiration from creating art, playing games, and reading children's books.

SUNY New Paltz | July 29-August 2 | 9am-1pm | $295


AGES 10-12

SPARKS FOR WRITING
Exciting writing prompts, art activities, nature walks, and visits to the planetarium and campus museum will inspire our imaginations, our creativity, and our writing.  

SUNY New Paltz | July 8-12 | 9am-1pm | $295

 

CREATING COMICS 
Do you love comics? And love to draw? Join us as we develop characters, write amusing dialogue, and illustrate our own original and amazing stories! 
SUNY New Paltz | July 15-19 | 9am-1pm | $295
BOOKMAKING FUN
We will use our imaginations and cool art materials to create books to share with others - Pop-up books, pocket books, trick paper books, and more. 

SUNY New Paltz | July 22-26 | 9am-1pm | $295

 

CREATIVE EXPERIMENTS
Come create with us and discover how writing can inspire art and art can inspire writing! We will spend a week together playing with words and images and experimenting with different art media and writing techniques to see the results.

SUNY New Paltz | July 29- Aug 2 | 9am-1pm | $295

 


 

AGES 12-14

WORLD BUILDING & STORYTELLING,
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS
Join us as we imagine fantastical worlds for our adventures, then dive into role-playing. Our games will take us on heroic and comic journeys, where we will encounter magical creatures as we seek fortune. New and experienced players are welcome. 

SUNY New Paltz | July 8-12 | 9am-3pm | $375

 

WRITING & ROLE-PLAYING,
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS 
Together we will create characters and give them voice, writing mythic stories replete with magic and monsters, heroes and villains, then roll the dice and let the adventures begin! New and experienced players are welcome.
SUNY New Paltz | July 15-19 | 9am-3pm | $375 
WRITING SCI-FI & FANTASY
Immerse yourself in a world of your own creation! Let your imagination loose and create a world in writing and art by developing characters, mapping out the places they live, and dreaming up an adventurous plot.

SUNY New Paltz | July 22-26 | 9 am- 1pm | $295


AGES 15-17

THE PEN AND THE SWORD,
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS
In this new program for teens, we will hone our writing craft as we roll the dice and wage battle. Experienced players and aspiring dungeon masters will explore fantasy worldbuilding and narrative creations through tabletop gameplay.

SUNY New Paltz | July 29- Aug 2 | 9am-3pm | $375


AGES 13-17

 

TEEN WRITERS INSTITUTE
Working in a creative workshop setting, we will tell our stories through personal essays, fiction, and poetry. We'll share ideas and respond to each other's work as we polish our writing for an anthology. 
Vassar College, Poughkeepsie | July 8-12 | 9am-1pm | $295
SUNY New Paltz | July 29- Aug 2 | 9am-1pm | $295
AUDIO STORYTELLING & PODCASTING
Find your voice! Taking inspiration from the worlds of journalism and performance, we will write for audiences of listeners and gain tech skills to record our own audio stories, colored by music and interviews.

SUNY New Paltz | July 15-19 | 9am-3pm | $350

NATURE & WRITING FOR CHANGE
Through exploration of The Preserve at Vassar, we will connect with nature and the issues that are important to us. We will write together and consider how writing can support our drive for change in the world.
Vassar College, Poughkeepsie | July 22-26 | 9 am-1 pm | $295

RISING JUNIORS & SENIORS
 
 
WRITING THE COLLEGE ESSAY
A good college essay communicates who you are and what you believe. We will study essays that work, brainstorm topics, and transform our ideas into solid drafts as we give and receive feedback in a relaxed, supportive setting. 
Vassar College, Poughkeepsie | July 8-12 | 9 pm-1pm | $295
SUNY New Paltz | July 22-26 | 9am-1pm | $295
PACE University - Westchester | July 29 - Aug 2 | $295

 

For more information about our Young Writers Programs, please see our Frequently Asked Questions.

HVWP offers a 10% tuition discount to:
  • Families registering siblings and/or one child for multiple sessions.
  • SUNY New Paltz faculty/staff, HVWP teacher consultants, and faculty/staff members of HVWP's partner sites.

HVWP is committed to making our youth programs accessible to all students. To apply, please visit our Tuition Assistance page.
As HVWP is a non-profit organization, please consider making a donation to help serve our students and support our mission.

Please contact us with your questions at hvwp@newpaltz.edu or (845) 257-2836.