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This summer, a record number of high school writers traveled from as far as New York City and Nashville to��participate in �ۿ۴�ý University’s annual Young Writers Workshop.

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For Philip Metres, professor in the Department of English and the Peace, Justice, and Human Rights Program at �ۿ۴�ý University (�ۿ۴�ý), who founded the program in 2011, the historic turnout is a reflection of both the quality of the workshop and the clarity of its vision.��

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“I knew there was a need for a space for high school creative writing students to find community, opportunities, and enrichment,” said Metres in an interview with �ۿ۴�ý. “I also saw it as an opportunity to introduce �ۿ۴�ý to people who are interested in that and help promote and increase our students who are interested in creative writing.”��

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To that end, in addition to the award-winning professors Metres invites to lead the program each summer, he hires a number of �ۿ۴�ý students as Small Group Workshop Interns.��

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Rachel Ciotti ’27, a English Literature and Secondary Education double-major at �ۿ۴�ý, was one of this year’s interns, and as a first-time participant, appreciated the opportunity to help her workshop group grow more confident throughout the week.

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“A lot of our writers are shy by nature, but throughout the week they all demonstrated new levels of confidence and courage,” Ciotti said in an interview with �ۿ۴�ý. “The caring community of group leaders truly allowed the writers to feel comfortable sharing their work and stepping outside their comfort zones.”��

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From July 22-26, the 54 high school writers, half of whom stayed on �ۿ۴�ý’s campus for the duration of the program, participated in daily fiction and poetry workshops, craft talks, and field trips to places including Mac’s Backs-Books On Coventry and the Cleveland Museum of Art.��

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Outings like these are integral to the program and help foster friendships and according to Metres, many Young Writers Workshop participants continue to stay in touch long after the week has ended, and return the following year to create together again.��

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On the final day of the program, all students take part in a public reception and reading where they have the opportunity to perform their work in front of friends and family. Additionally, each receives an anthology comprised of the group’s best writing.��

When asked to reflect on the impact that the Young Writers Workshop continues to have on helping cultivate the next generation of Ohio’s promising creative writers, Metres expressed his ongoing desire to provide a nurturing space where they feel supported and inspired to explore their work in new ways.

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“My hope for students is they find a space of freedom, exploration and empowerment in the process of their writing and to find friends to share that with,” Metres said.

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To achieve this requires interns and professors alike to practice kindness and patience.��

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“There’s a truism among nature advocates that you have to be very quiet before the animals come out. It’s true for creative writing and for creative writers as well. You have to be really patient, kind, and trustworthy – and then good things happen.”