July 3 ,2012

UNBC will play host to budding writers this summer at the third annual Raise-a-Reader Youth Writing Camp July 26-29. The Prince George Citizen and Raise-a-Reader have partnered with UNBC Creative Writing professor Robert Budde to create a unique and stimulating environment at the University for motivated youth to explore and develop their creative, storytelling, artistic, and expressive abilities.

Over four days, approximately 30 high school students (aged 16-18 years old) from throughout northern BC will have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of exciting writing-related workshops and activities facilitated by UNBC professors and visiting authors.

There will be chances to send the imagination outside with a nature-writing hike, and space to get creative with a spoken-word and poetry session. A songwriting class will help students craft lyrics, and lessons such as the art of writing graphic novels, as well as creating visual text on canvasses, will allow students to express their ideas in unique ways.

These workshops and activities will offer opportunities for students to grow and develop as writers, interact with author-mentors and other youth writers, and experience the learning environment at UNBC. “Young writers will enjoy the opportunity to develop bonds with other like-minded students, and will appreciate the freedom to be a writer where in other environments it is not validated,” says Dr. Budde.

The FREE camp will be held on UNBC’s Prince George campus in the Bentley center from July 26-29, and housing for three nights will be provided in residence.

Spots are limited, so apply as soon as you can. Interested students must send in five pages of creative writing, which may be a combination of smaller pieces or one long piece, and a letter of introduction to:

Dr. Robert Budde
English Program
UNBC, 3333 University Way
Prince George, B.C. V2N 4Z9
rbudde@unbc.ca