Workshop Helps Student Writers Find Creative Spark

Founded by Berkeley parent Sondra Hall in 2005, Take My Word For It! has just finished its fall session at . Program coordinator and teacher Emily Phillips says the students, some of whom were less than enthusiastic about writing beforehand, now want to write more.

“The purpose is to give kids the freedom to be creative without the pressure of being grammatically correct and following strict guidelines, and to be supported while they explore that side of themselves,” said Phillips.

One popular assignment asked students to personify a pine cone—to write from the pine cone’s perspective.

“They write a lot of different things including odes—a poem praising something,” Phillips explained. "They hone their observation skills, and tap into their imaginations."

Phillips said that parents send their kids to her workshop because they want their children to write more. 

“I stress that we nurture their creative sides, so its not a remedial writing program,” she said.

The program's blog includes pictures of creative writing campers back in August scavenging for found poetry ingredients in Piedmont Park. The hunt begot poems, like this one, of discovery, travel, and affection for summer:

I saw them

mostly in the summer

eating too much

real fruit naturally

at the café they, the

American Goldfinches

— Athene

Take My Word For It! is currently offered in 15 different schools. The next session at Havens goes from Jan. 9 – March 19. The cost is $120 for eight sessions. To sign up, contact Havens After School Coordinator Carla Gray, carlapgray@yahoo.com.