<>Through workshops, summer camps and after-school programs, Denver Writes gets area children excited about writing. Volunteers help by tutoring, mentoring, and teaching the students. By actively recruiting volunteers that are enthusiastic about writing and storytelling, volunteers get just as much out of it as the students do.
“There’s this creative energy that the kids have, and when they are excited about something, it makes you excited about writing,” says volunteer Kevin Peterson.
“You really don’t have to do much, they already have it in them,” he continues, “It’s the most creatively fulfilling thing I’ve ever done.”
Workshop topics run the gamut of writing projects: poetry, movie reviews, short stories, novels and songwriting are just a few themes Denver Writes has approached. It’s not just about writing though, explains Program Director Kate Alderete.
“Part of our mission is that the kids have a supportive community as well as a supportive space where they can be creative.” That is accomplished by making a welcoming space in the basement of Metropolis Coffee, where workshops take place.
Jason Kellermeyer of the Board of Directors sees the change in students very clearly.
“The transformation happens when the kid realizes that you’re on the same page as them; that you’re into the same thing, and that you’re into writing. They can get the same enjoyment out of it by creating their own worlds.”
To volunteer, click here. For more information, click here.
