Plymouth students run youth writing workshop

Over the past seven weeks, the student-run organization MESA (Mentoring Enhances Student Achievement) has been teaming up with Campton Elementary School's A-Plus Club to host a writing group on Tuesday evenings at the Campton Public Library. The club, titled "Write Me Up," is hosted by a handful of PSU English major's that are eager to work with enthusiastic young writers.

The college students from MESA provide the children with various writing prompts. Melissa Davidson, a junior English student at PSU, has attended all of the writing groups and typically delivers the writing prompts.  "We've used really out-there ones like, ‘You wake up in the middle of a forest.  How did you get there and what do you do next?'" says Davidson, "Occasionally, we will give them a more serious and personal one that helps to vent their teenage angst, like "Write a letter to someone telling them how you really feel."

The writing group has steadily gained momentum on campus over the semester. What started out as a group consisting of three eager students evolved into an ambitious group of over twenty. Davidson says, "The kids have been telling their friends about the group, and I think that's why we have so many now."

Mikala Ash, a 6th grade student in Campton, has attended Write Me Up every Tuesday since it began. "I have always loved to write," Mikala says, "and the college kids make it fun." Mikala hopes to attend college and become a teacher in the future, but that is a few years down the road.

Mikala's good friend Meghan Jerome, who also has ambitions to one day teach, has been an active member of the writing group since its beginning. She is drawn to writing without the guidelines imposed by the public school curriculum. "I like to write about funny, random stuff," Meghan says, "and I've also learned that writing can be interesting."

The writing group consists of students from 4th to 8th grade. The blend of ages creates a diverse atmosphere of writing level, creativity, and unique style. But it is all in fun. Sixth grade student, Barbara "Babs" McKenzie, enjoys the company of the older kids. Babs says, "I love the sillyness of the 8th graders. I've learned that Justin Bieber is very hated." All of the kids seem to learn and appreciate each other's written material. 

Campton Library Director, Tara McKenzie, says that the kids were really excited about how fun the group was. McKenzie says, "I think the students feel more comfortable with the college students because they are closer to their own age." 

Of course, when a bunch of young boys and girls get together after school with their friends and are fed free pizza and soda, there are going to be some distractions. "Getting them to focus on the writing can sometimes be a challenge," says Davidson. "We have tried splitting them up into smaller groups, which seems to help."

Every week MESA has been collecting samples of all of the students' work and plan to publish a book that they will give to the library to commemorate "Write Me Up".

"Write Me Up" was such a success that they have already expressed ambition to expand the program and return in the future. "I think this program has some great potential and I look forward to working with the Campton Public Library next semester," says Davidson. "Hopefully we can make it a longer program and do some really fun activities with the kids."