Why I'm a Writing Fellow

 “Thinking back to who I was in middle school—so scared of the world, thinking there was no place for me in the world—the Young Author Project was everything I needed back then. If I can help make that a reality for other people, then this is definitely the place for me,” Cai Macler said.

Every week in schools across the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS), Writing Fellows like Cai build bubbles of safety, play, and creativity for the youth of the Young Author Project (YAP), a program embedding after-school creative writing workshops in local middle and high schools. YAP youth—around 300 young people per year—spend the semester working on projects as diverse as they are, including poems, stories, song lyrics, screenplays, comic books, and other expressions of their impressive creativity. At the end of each semester, YAP youth become published authors when Deep releases anthologies of their best works.

Each workshop is facilitated by two Writing Fellows: local artists, writers, and mentors who undertake a semester-long commitment to lead one session per week at an assigned school. Spending time as a Deep Writing Fellow is a Savannah milestone shared by local creatives of all ages, including students at universities in the area. Writing Fellow Cai Macler (a recent graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design’s writing program) and Writing Fellow Jozlynn Carson (a student in the Georgia Southern University–Armstrong College of Education) both reflected on what their time in YAP meant to them.

YAP workshops can be lifechanging—and not just for the young people. “I don’t think anything else in my career or life has felt quite the same,” Cai said. “It was such a rush of happiness and joy. My favorite part of being at Deep is knowing this isn’t about me—this is about the young people. To step out of myself for a little bit, to know my entire goal and purpose is for someone else for a little while.” As Cai explained, Writing Fellows don’t just guide youth through new creative projects: they’re in charge of making the workshop space a refuge for everyone inside. “We create a space that’s welcoming and a space to hide away from the world, to express your anger at the world, whatever you need to do. For middle schoolers, if you’re queer, if you’re disabled, a person of color, having a space you’re completely welcome in and invited to express yourself however you want to, that is so important. And we’ll teach you how to write, too,” Cai said.

Deep workshops are hosted in classrooms within the school buildings, but as Writing Fellow Jozlynn explained, they feel very different from a traditional school space. Jozlynn is studying to become an educator herself and spends time both student-teaching and leading Deep workshops. “In general, Deep is a lot less structured—in a good way. Deep is supposed to be open and supposed to get deep. We’re in a classroom, but I’m not forcing you to do things or be here. A lot of education has to do with testing. Deep is the opposite. I want you to talk, be open, be loud sometimes. These young people come to us because they want to be there,” Jozlynn said.

Both Jozlynn and Cai agreed that one of the most transformational aspects of YAP was forming connections with their young writers. “My classes are teaching us how to be educators, but aren’t teaching us how to be open with youth. Deep and YAP have given me the opportunity to hear youth and experience them in a different way than student teaching can provide. It allows me to grow more understanding for them,” Jozlynn said. And for Cai, being a Writing Fellow was all about building trust. “It was learning how to create a friendship and respect and build a relationship between each young person and myself. And it’s so much fun for me! I learn so much from the young people. Every day they come into the workshops they teach me something new, and they’re so creative. They inspire so much of my own work,” Cai said.

“Youth need to be listened to,” Jozlynn said. “The Young Author Project gives the community a chance to hear the youth, and there’s so much to be heard from that.” Savannah needs the Young Author Project, and the Young Author Project needs its Writing Fellows. If spending a semester with some of the most creative young people in the South sounds like a good fit for you, apply! We would love to have you on our team.

To fill out a Writing Fellow application, click here: http://tinyurl.com/5946by2x

To learn more about the Young Author Project, click here: http://tinyurl.com/a8rtr8vf

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Por qué Soy Becario de Escritura

Cada semana, en los colegios del Sistema de Colegios Públicos del Condado de Savannah-Chatham (SCCPSS), los becarios de escritura como Cai crean burbujas de seguridad, juego y creatividad para los jóvenes del Proyecto Autor Joven (YAP), un programa que integra talleres extraescolares de escritura creativa en los institutos y colegios locales. Los jóvenes del YAP -unos 300 al año- pasan el semestre trabajando en proyectos tan diversos como ellos: poemas, relatos, letras de canciones, guiones, cómics y otras expresiones de su impresionante creatividad. Al final de cada semestre, los jóvenes del YAP se convierten en autores publicados cuando Deep publica antologías de sus mejores obras.

Los talleres Deep se imparten en aulas dentro de los edificios escolares, pero, como explica Jozlynn, becaria de escritura, son muy diferentes de un espacio escolar tradicional. Jozlynn está estudiando para convertirse en educadora y dedica su tiempo tanto a enseñar como a dirigir talleres Deep. “En general, Deep es mucho menos estructurado, en el buen sentido. Deep debe ser abierto y profundizar. Estamos en una clase, pero no te obligo a hacer cosas o a estar aquí. Gran parte de la educación tiene que ver con los exámenes. Profundo es lo contrario. Quiero que hablen, que sean abiertos, que hagan ruido a veces. Estos jóvenes vienen a nosotros porque quieren estar allí”, dijo Jozlynn.