after-school
Our flagship program is held after-school at schools and community centers across Chatham County.
Here’s how our after-school program works:
Who: 12-14 students from grades 6-8 meet with two trained Deep Writing Fellows (with clearance from the Board of Education/Campus Police) for 75 minutes after-school, once per week.
What: Students and Writing Fellows meet weekly to learn about creative writing, and each student produces original stories, poems, and plays. They share and learn from one another’s pieces, and with the help of our Fellows, they polish their work to a publishable standard.Where: Workshops meet in a classroom or library space provided by each participating location.
When: Deep holds two 10-week sessions each year (Oct-Dec; Feb-Apr). Each week, workshops meet for 75 minutes. By the end of the series, each DeepKid gets 12.5 hours of personal attention and individualized instruction in writing.
How: Each week, Writing Fellows teach according to Deep’s tested workshop structure, dedicating at least three weeks to basic skills, six weeks to more advanced skills, and one week to revision. Writing Fellows provide extensive, constructive, and encouraging feedback on students’ work. At the end of ten weeks, each DeepKid’s work is published in a professionally illustrated, perfect-bound anthology of student work.
DeepKids are invited (along with family and friends) to attend our book release and open-mic reading, Deep Speaks!, in June and January each year, at the Jepson Center, to celebrate their accomplishment and receive their published book.
