In Duke's Young Writers’ Program for Middle and High School, you’ll spend two weeks meeting fellow writers, honing your craft, exploring new genres, and experiencing a writing community like no other. You’ll end the program with a full notebook, a full heart, and new confidence in your skills as a writer.
This summer, choose from a list of writing courses that reads like an adventure novel: Myth, Magic, Monsters: Making a World; Paper Cuts, Words that Wound and Win; and Dark Fiction: Living on the Edge. And this is just a sampling of the dozens of courses to choose from! In the Young Writers’ Program for Middle and High School, you’ll spend two weeks meeting fellow writers, honing your craft, exploring new genres, and experiencing a writing community like no other.
You’ll put plenty of words on the page, yes, but you may also find yourself acting out the lives and situations of fictional characters, rapping and performing poetry and song, or developing an ear for dialogue by listening in on conversations on Durham’s Ninth Street. Our most beloved program to date, the Young Writers’ Program holds all the magic of a true “summer camp” experience. You’ll go home with a full notebook, a full heart, and new confidence in your skill as a writer.
I cannot render enough praise to Duke Young Writers' Camp. It is an incredible experience. When I stepped in, I was initially unsure about whether it'd be fun, whether I'd make friends, and whether I'd become a better writer, among other things. I had relatively average expectations. They were immediately surpassed!
The community of writers is supportive, talented, and kind. (Please use the Oxford comma while on the grounds of DYWC; you will make so many more friends.) The first Reader's Forum is intimidating, especially for a first-timer, because everyone is SO GOOD! However, you will soon gain the confidence to read, and when you do, you will have people SWARMING you with congratulations, kind words, and hugs. Campers are generally more eccentric people, but we realize that the normalities the world places upon us are bizarre in a terrible way, and we bond over it.
The teachers are extremely talented in the field of writing. However, classes are not extraordinarily academic. Field trips are in abundance, and many witty writing exercises are put to play. Teachers give useful, diplomatic advice.
The food is good, especially for the context of a college campus. The dorms are well-maintained and air conditioning is a blessed piece of machinery. Besides classes, many other activities occur, like the iconic video production class (provided, I learned little about video production) for afternoon activity and many entertaining evening activities, like Mafia or Werewolves or even beautiful weddings.
Leaving is the hardest thing to do, and I talk to the many friends I made at DYWC every day. I love this community so much and I cannot wait to see everyone again this July.