Writing Classes Near Me

Duration: 5 Weeks | 1 Hour Per Class Get ready for a high-energy, fun-packed experience where your child will discover the power of persuasion in the most exciting way! Persuasive speaking is a life-changing skill that helps kids express their ideas with confidence, influence others, and make their voices heard. Through lively games, engaging lessons, and creative challenges, your child will master the art of persuasion while having an absolute blast! LEARN • Explore the elements of persuasive speech and writing through interactive lessons and fun, real-world class discussions. • Be introduced to simple debate techniques in a playful and approachable way that boosts confidence. • Learn how to quickly structure both impromptu and prepared persuasive speeches in dynamic, fast-paced activities. • Discover techniques to captivate an audience with humor, creativity, and confidence. • Learn how to persuade different audiences with the right content while keeping things fun and engaging. • Learn how to better manage public speaking anxiety and nervousness, building confidence to speak up and present with ease. • Build a solid understanding of structure, tone, and delivery for persuasive presentations in a lively, supportive environment. DO • Work on both impromptu and prepared pitches, presentations, and speeches with high-energy practice activities. • Create imaginative and hilarious pitches with teammates for collaborative, laughter-filled challenges. • Participate in energetic demonstrations, role-playing, and interactive games that make learning unforgettable. • Receive individualized feedback, regardless of your child’s starting skill level, to ensure they improve in every session. IMPROVE • Sharpen public speaking and persuasion skills through instant feedback and hands-on practice. • Use the feedback instantly to ensure that the student captures it and applies it right away. • Benefit from personalized coaching that challenges and supports every student from their baseline. • Develop confidence, creativity, and clarity in expressing ideas, whether at school or in everyday life. Also, for classes with more than 10 students, two enthusiastic instructors will lead the sessions to guarantee every child gets the attention and feedback they deserve. Oh, and did we mention? Our instructors are professional educators AND performers who bring tons of energy and humor to every class. Your child will laugh, learn, and leave feeling excited for the next session! Please note: Occasional assignments will be given to maximize the class benefits.

Winter Semester (January-Mid March) Students will exercise the imagination at the Art House. This class is designed to help our young artists learn and develop fine art skills that will also help them in writing and problem solving! Your child will be drawing, painting, and sculpting. Classes also expose them to art history. They are encouraged in their self expression while also learning to follow directions. Our projects are always new and engaging as they continue to grow in their abilities. We desire to build confidence and support their strengths. Classes are limited in sizes so sign your child up today!

For classes with more than 10 students, two expert, high-energy instructors lead the session to ensure every student receives ample one-on-one feedback and speaking time. Our instructors are professional educators and performers who bring energy, humor, and warmth to every class. Students leave each session laughing, learning, and excited for the next challenge. Please note: Occasional at-home assignments may be given to reinforce skills and maximize progress.

🎤 Persuasive Speaking: Level 1 Duration: 5 Weeks | 1 Hour Per Class Get ready for a high-energy, fun-packed experience where your child will discover the power of persuasion in the most exciting way! Persuasive speaking is a life-changing skill that helps kids express their ideas with confidence, influence others, and make their voices heard. Through lively games, engaging lessons, and creative challenges, students learn how to persuade clearly and confidently—while having an absolute blast! ⭐ LEARN • Explore the elements of persuasive speech and writing through interactive lessons and real-world, kid-friendly class discussions. • Be introduced to simple debate techniques in a playful, low-pressure way that builds confidence. • Learn how to quickly structure both impromptu and prepared persuasive speeches using fun, fast-paced activities. • Discover how to captivate an audience with humor, creativity, and confident delivery. • Understand how to persuade different audiences using the right content and tone. • Learn strategies to manage public speaking anxiety and speak up with ease. • Build a strong foundation in structure, tone, and delivery—within a lively, supportive environment. ⭐ DO • Practice both impromptu and prepared pitches, presentations, and persuasive speeches in high-energy speaking rounds. • Create imaginative, funny, and creative pitches with teammates during collaborative challenges. • Participate in demonstrations, role-playing, and interactive games that make learning unforgettable. • Receive individualized, supportive feedback to help every child grow—no matter their starting point. ⭐ IMPROVE • Strengthen public speaking and persuasion skills through instant feedback and hands-on practice. • Apply feedback immediately during the same session to reinforce learning and growth. • Benefit from personalized coaching that meets each student exactly where they are. • Build confidence, creativity, clarity, and expressive skills that carry over into school and everyday life. ⭐ INSTRUCTOR EXPERIENCE For classes with more than 10 students, two enthusiastic instructors lead the sessions to ensure every child gets the attention and feedback they deserve. Our instructors are professional educators and performers who bring tons of energy, humor, and warmth to every class. Students leave each session laughing, learning, and eagerly looking forward to the next one! Please note: Occasional at-home assignments may be given to maximize the class benefits.

Course Description: Vibe Coding is a high-energy, creativity-driven coding program designed to make programming approachable, engaging, and fun for all learners. Whether building games, designing interactive websites, or creating digital art, students will learn coding by doing — working on hands-on projects that connect to their personal interests. The course blends problem-solving, creativity, and teamwork, helping students develop not only coding skills but also the confidence to apply them in school, careers, and everyday life. By the end, each student will have a portfolio-worthy project that reflects their unique “vibe.” Target Audience: Grades 4–12 (can be adapted for adults) Duration: 8–12 weeks (customizable) Format: 2 sessions/week (1.5 hours each) Module 1: Coding Mindset & Digital Confidence • Intro to Coding – What coding is, where it’s used, and why it’s exciting • Problem-Solving Mindset – Breaking big problems into small steps • Digital Creativity – How coding powers apps, games, and websites Module 2: Coding Fundamentals • Basics of Logic – Sequencing, loops, and conditions • Variables & Data – Storing and using information • Functions – Writing reusable code blocks • Hands-on mini-projects after each concept Module 3: Vibe Projects (Engage & Create) • Make Your First Game – Simple 2D game (Scratch or JavaScript/HTML5) • Create a Website – Personal bio page or school project site • Data Fun – Visualizing simple datasets (Google Sheets + JavaScript) Module 4: Collaboration & Real-World Skills • Pair Programming – Working together on a shared project • Debugging Techniques – Finding and fixing problems • Version Control Basics – Intro to GitHub for teamwork Module 5: Capstone Project – Your Vibe, Your Code • Students choose a project based on their interest: o Game o Portfolio website o Interactive quiz o Digital storytelling • Presentation to peers, parents, or school community Extras / Optional Enhancements • Guest speakers from tech companies • Mini “Code Jam” challenges • Career talk: Paths in tech and creative coding Tools & Platforms: • Younger students (Grades 4–6): Scratch, Tynker, Code.org • Middle school (Grades 6–8): JavaScript with p5.js, HTML/CSS • High school: Python, JavaScript, GitHub, Replit

Where they are: Children are ready to embark on a classroom experience without their adults by their side. They are ready to develop early literacy skills; collaborate and negotiate with their peers; and learn ways to communicate, cooperate and play together. What to expect in class: A playful twist on a traditional preschool/pre-k class. Children will develop the fundamental skills necessary for reading and writing as we explore letter recognition, phonics, sight words, spelling, and comprehension. They will build social skills during Gathering Time, while exploring the day’s fun and imaginative theme, and during Show and Share. Children will learn decision-making skills and build fine motor skills during our station play, and expand their creativity through art. The learning will extend to the home with printable “Literacy Kits”, with letter and theme-based worksheets. We will help prepare them for a lifetime love of school, classrooms, and learning.

🔵 Week 3: Communicate & Collaborate Capstone Team Communication • Collaboration • Presentation 📅 August 10–14, 2026 ** MUST be Rising Grades 5-8 to Participate! NO exceptions! Our Final Camp Week focuses on communication and collaboration as part of a team or partnership ! These are key elements of FCPS’s and LCPS’s Portrait of a Graduate! Students work daily in rotating teams on creative speaking challenges using multiple public speaking formats, including: Persuasive speaking & pitching Storytelling Informative speaking Students learn how to: Collaborate effectively so every student contributes Develop and enhance social skills Communicate with new peers and find common ground Lead, listen, and build on others’ ideas Master team presentation dynamics, including smooth transitions and unified delivery 🎉 End-of-Week Team Showcase Teams present a final collaborative presentation! 🎥 Parents receive a video of their child’s final team presentation. 🎯 Why Parents Choose This Bundle Daily speaking practice …no sitting on the sidelines! Combines writing, impromptu speaking, and teamwork! Builds confidence for middle school presentations and group projects Explicit focus on communication, collaboration, and leadership ONLY taught by Professionals! Aligned with FCPS Portrait of a Graduate skills! Professional showcases + take-home performance video! ✨ A powerful summer experience that builds skills students will use all year and MUCH beyond!

There are as many metaphors to describe what locals call 'down in the Buckskin' as there are people who have been there. I choose the word 'in' because you are literally inside the walls of the world's longest slot canyon. According to the Bureau of Land Management ('BLM') website, Buckskin Gulch is 16 miles long (around 26 km) from the Buckskin Trailhead to the Paria Canyon and over 500 feet (around 150m) deep at its confluence with the Paria River. There are places in the Buckskin where you are able to touch both canyon walls at the same time. Buckskin Gulch is a photographer's and hiker's Mecca. Every corner you turn is changing continuously; the cliffs are water-and-wind-sculpted patterns of colors, light and shadows. You may also marvel and puzzle at the meanings of the rock writings (petroglyphs) from the early Archaic period (some are as old as 9,000 years). It was voted one the top 10 hikes in the world by National Geographic Adventure Magazine a few years back.

In Salem, Massachusetts in the late 1690s, a man & a woman fall in love. But shortly before the wedding, the man finds a magic spell in his fiancée’s handwriting - the spell was to make him fall in love with her by unnatural means. He rejects her & calls off the wedding, calling her an evil witch. “I'll show you an evil witch!” she vows & turns him into a vampire, but that isn’t all: he finds his coffin impossible to open! Now it’s up to you & your team to uncover the secrets of their love affair & help the vampire reclaim his coffin.

Our tour will start at the Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center, pass by the places that shaped Kerouac’s childhood, inspired his writing, and welcomed the wild energy of the Beat Generation. You’ll get a chance to see his park, his typewriter, the mill his parents worked at, the high school he played football, the library he often frequented and the bar he spent much of his time writing stories. Go at your own pace, anytime. The tour is hands free, and plays as you walk.

This guided walking tour will take you to the real places that Hemingway lived, worked and played, including where he watched and refereed boxing matches, where he kept his boat the Pilar, the bookstore where his books were sold, his first apartment in Key West where he finished writing “A Farewell to Arms”. Along the way you will have three food samplings, before visiting where he took the train, fished and charted boats in the Key West Harbor, and finally where he spent a lot of time drinking- Sloppy Joe's. Numerous other historical sites that Hemingway frequented while he lived in Key West will also be visited on this incredibly authentic tour.

Walk through Providence's dark side! The eerie writings H.P. Lovecraft- one of the most significant supernatural horror fiction authors of the 20th century- are inexplicably bound to his hometown of Providence. This tour walks in the tortured author's footsteps through his traumatic upbringing and favorite haunts; guests also meet some of the fictional characters that Lovecraft wrote into the city's fabric through dramatic retellings of his creepiest tales. But Lovecraft isn't the only author that ambled the city's centuries-old sidewalks: Sarah Helen Whitman was an eccentric local spiritualist and poet who was briefly engaged to master of the macabre Edgar Allan Poe. This tour also explores her life and relives the couple's whirlwind- and doomed- romance.

The Music Row Walking tour begins at a convenient location right on Music Row! A walking tour on the row is an easy walk and gives the expert guide the time and focus to provide great stories and the quirky nature of the center of Music City’s soul. Music Row is the area in Nashville with recording studios, record labels, songwriting companies, music royalty businesses, and all things music. This is a separate area from Lower Broadway. On this 1.5 hour stroll through Music Row guests will enjoy a blend of historical insights, entertaining stories, and perhaps a surprise guest story or two from the local music scene. Famous Recording Studios: Visit some of Music Row’s most famous recording studios, where giants of the music industry have recorded their chart-topping hits. You’ll get an insider’s look at the places where stars like Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, and Taylor Swift made musical magic.

My passion for songwriting and my ability to connect with others through music is what makes my experience unique. You don't need any musical talent or vocal ability to work with me. Of course, if you do have those skills, it's definitely a plus! But my focus is on creating music that is authentic and vulnerable regardless of your musical background. Whether you come to me with a blank canvas or with ideas already in mind for what you want to write, I am always excited to embark on the songwriting journey with you. Together, we can create something truly special. So if you're looking to dive into the world of songwriting, don't hesitate to reach out. Let's write the next hit song together!

SJAWP Novel Writing Program: Writer’s Salon & Workshop Calling all teen writers who want a community with whom to share writing without the commitment of a full length course! Our Teen Writer's Salon is a space in which students can write alongside other teens and workshop writing while making friends with other budding novelists. Our Writer's Salon will meet three times this fall for live zoom sessions that begin with a prompt and writing warm up followed by student readings of works in progress. We have built this space to allow students to stay connected to our Teen Writer's Institute programs and to experience the writing community offered by our Novel Writing Program. There will be no set lectures or assignments; rather, in this course, students will write together and receive peer feedback in a process facilitated by our author in residence, Hannah Jayne. Come join us and walk away with notes on a piece of writing, a peer group connected by the common pursuit of a creative writing life, and a clearer idea of how to make writing fit into your busy lifestyle! Zoom Classes will be held on Saturdays with tentative dates: February 28 - 11am–12:30pm March 28 - 11am–12:30pm April 25 - 9am-2pm (in person at SJSU) May 23 - 11am–12:30pm

Curriculum at a Glance Spring Semester – Course 2: Novel Writing Into The Middle This course will take up where Novel Beginnings left off: by exploring what happens to characters when they leave their ordinary worlds behind and launch into journeys that forever change the trajectory of their lives. Whereas the first novel writing course focused on crafting the ordinary world of the protagonist, this course will additionally focus on exploring secondary characters and subplots in order to create complex and dynamic worlds. A particular focus will be on writing fast and writing strong in order to hit the ground running in the early middle of the novel and to continue structured practice of the habits that allow writers to blast through the initial drafts of their novels. The course runs from February 16, 2026 - May 17, 2026. In addition. there will be 4 live zoom classes with our Authors in Residence for the Teen Writer's Salon with tentative dates: February 28 - 11am–12:30pm March 28 - 11am–12:30pm April 25 - 9am-2pm (in person at SJSU)* May 23 - 11am–12:30pm Special Final Event: In person author** reading at Hicklebee's Books tentatively 5/16. *4/25 will be an in-person, full day workshop at SJSU

Curriculum at a Glance Spring Semester – Course 4: The Aftermath In Novel IV, young authors will learn how to steer their explosive climaxes into emotionally satisfying endings. A particular focus will be on whole-novel and character arcs, making sure young authors are creating dynamic characters with complete emotional arcs and storylines are thorough and lack plot holes. After novel completion, we’ll have a strong focus on self and peer editing, guiding novelists to look at their finished products with a critical eye while not losing their personal voices in the editing process. In addition. there will be 4 live zoom classes with our Authors in Residence for the Teen Writer's Salon with tentative dates: February 28 - 11am–12:30pm March 28 - 11am–12:30pm April 25 - 9am-2pm (in person at SJSU)* May 23 - 11am–12:30pm Special Final Event: In person author** reading at Hicklebee's Books tentatively 5/16. *4/25 will be an in-person, full day workshop at SJSU