Overview
Drawing inspiration from its long-standing tradition of nurturing creative thinking, Bard College at Simon's Rock offers a distinctive summer experience known as the Young Writers Workshop. Established in 1983, this workshop has become a guiding light for academically motivated students, many of whom have later set sail for prestigious higher education institutions, including Harvard, Princeton, and Yale.
The workshop's charm lies in its playful, informal approach to creative writing, serving as an enriching platform for high school students to strengthen their language skills and broaden their thinking horizons. The journey begins with casual writing activities, gradually evolving into polished pieces of personal narratives, stories, poems, and exploratory essays. The treasure map here is peer response and the compass, individual attention.
In this small, cozy corner of the world, with just 12 participants per section, students find not just a workshop, but a supportive community that encourages them to chart new courses in their writing and thinking. It's a place where they learn to trust their own voice and language, collaborate with others, and develop a sense of self-confidence.
The magic doesn't stop at writing. The cultural richness of the Simon's Rock campus, set amidst the picturesque Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts, provides a scenic backdrop for the students' creativity. With an array of cultural institutions nearby, students have the chance to soak in performances from the likes of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Berkshire Music Festival, making their stay at Simon's Rock a delightful blend of academic and cultural enrichment.
