Hudson Valley Writing Project

Young Writers Programs: Summer 2023

This page is an archive of our online classes offered in Summer 2023.

To be notified when registration opens this winter for classes in Summer 2024, please join our email list.

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Experience the power of writing this summer! The Hudson Valley Writing Project offers an array of programs to bring young people together to tell their stories, share their thoughts and ideas, and develop new friendships.

View and share our electronic program flier.

Leer en español - coming soon!

 AGES 6-7

PLAY, WONDER & WRITE 

Our imaginations will soar as we play together, make new friends, and tell our stories through drawing, writing, painting, clay, movement, and make-believe. 

SUNY New Paltz | July 24-28 | 9am-1pm | $275

AGES 7-9

EXPLORING NATURE THROUGH ART & WRITING (waitlist)

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 10-14 | 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. | $275

 

MAKING BOOKS (waitlist)

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 17-21 | 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. | $275 (Waitlist only)

 

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

Environmental Cooperative at Vassar Barns. Poughkeepsie | July 24-28 | 9 am-1 pm | $275

 

 

AGES 10-12

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 10-14 | 9am-1pm | $275

 

WRITING FOR FUN

Inspiring writing prompts, art activities, and visits to the planetarium and campus museum will spark our imaginations and creativity as we learn about and practice the craft of writing.

SUNY New Paltz | July 17-21 | 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. | $275

 
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 24-28 | 9am-1pm | $275

AGES 12-14

WRITING & ROLE-PLAYING,
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS (waitlist)
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 welcome.
SUNY New Paltz | July 10-14 | 9am-3pm | $350 (waitlist)
 
WORLD BUILDING & STORYTELLING
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS
Setting the stage for our adventures, we will build fantastical worlds and create fictional cultures and histories, providing backdrops for our heroic and comic journeys, battles, and epic narratives. New and experienced players welcome.

SUNY New Paltz | July 17-21 | 9am-3pm | $350

 
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 24-28 | 9 am- 1pm | $275

AGES 13-17

 

PODCASTING & AUDIO STORYTELLING
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 10-14 | 9am-3pm | $295

  
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 10-14 | 9am-1pm | $275
SUNY New Paltz | July 31- Aug 4 | 9am-1pm | $275
 
NATURE, ACTIVISM & 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 24-28 | 9 am-1 pm | $275
RISING JUNIORS & SENIORS
 
 
WRITING THE COLLEGE ESSAY (waitlist)
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 17-21 | 9 pm-1pm | $275 (waitlist)
SUNY New Paltz | July 24-28 | 9am-1pm | $275 (waitlist)

 

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.