Writopia Lab

Writopia is a godsend for kids who like to write. In a world that seems focused on tests, Writopia instead nurtures kids to produce pieces they care about and to improve them through the workshopping process. My kids have been part of this diverse and vibrant community for years.
The students run the gamut from little kids who can barely type to teenagers refining their college-​admissions essays. The workshops are small and led by teachers (all published writers) who give kids the tools to spur creativity and improve their writing. They play games (one called «hot laptop» is reliably hilarious, I’m told), discuss each others’ work, and use the resulting feedback to edit their pieces (or not – it’s really up to them).
I can’t say enough about the teachers, who are endlessly positive and encouraging. Kids feel proud of what they’ve accomplished – not because of empty praise but because they’ve seen their work improve over time.
Year after year, Writopia students disproportionately win awards in prestigious writing competitions. Writopia hosts its own playwriting festival, in which kids’ plays are produced in an off-​Broadway theater with professional actors. And everyone is invited to read from completed works at events at bookstores and libraries throughout the year. They even run summer and vacation camps.
Also impressive is the fact that Writopia offers sliding-​scale fees and scholarships for kids who need them, in addition to doing outreach to kids who might not have the resources to study creative writing at all.