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WordsWorth 2024: DRAGONSONG
Registration is open!
- Early Bird rate: $590 until April 30, 2024
- Regular rate: $630 starting May 1, 2024
Week 1 (ages 11 – 14): July 14th – 19th, 2024
Week 2 (ages 15 – 19): July 21th – 26th, 2024
Location: Red Deer Polytechnic, Red Deer, AB
T-shirt: $25
Anthology: $12
WordsWorth is a week-long sleepover creative writing residency for young artists who believe in the power of words and storytelling. Campers will be completely immersed in the creative and diverse world of writing. Guided by established and respected artist-instructors, the young artists will experience writing through fiction, nonfiction, poetry, spoken word, music, movement, and more. But the experiences don’t begin and end with the classes; WordsWorth is a place where young artists come together to celebrate writing through friendship, campfire stories and songs, concerts, open mic sessions, hikes, haiku, and semi-competitive games outside of class.
Bursaries
A limited number of bursaries are available for participants in financial need. We can typically offer 25% to 75% off the WordsWorth registration fee depending on need and availability. To apply for a WordsWorth bursary, please send the following to [email protected]:
- Describe why it is important for you to attend WordsWorth. This must be in the participant’s own words, not written by a parent or guardian.
- Briefly explain your financial situation (no documentation required), how a bursary would help you attend, and how much of the registration fee you need to bursary to cover. This may be written by either the participant or a parent/guardian.
- Include a sample of your creative writing, maximum 1000 words.
About WordsWorth
Make sure to check out our Youth Programming FAQ.
One of the first things you’ll notice when you arrive at WordsWorth is that the days are full. A Creative Team Member will wake you bright and early for breakfast. After breakfast, you will attend a day of amazing classes with breaks for writing, exploring, chilling and playing.
The evenings don’t slow down either! Jam sessions, followed by nightly shows, campfires and bedtime stories are what to expect each night. Your Creative Team have many exciting extra-curricular activities planned. In other words, be prepared for busy, full days!
Located near the outskirts of Red Deer, RDP has great facilities, access to hiking trails, and plenty of open space for activities. The location offers apartment style accommodation and a large cafeteria. All residences and activities at RDP are supervised by our highly-qualified Creative Team.
In the week prior to camp, all registrants will be sent a WordsWorth Handbook, which provides details about class schedules, registration, drop off and pick-up times, what to bring, camp rules and regulations, and contact information for the camp.
**Times subject to change**
Drop-Off: Please aim to be at RDP at 3:00 pm on the Sunday of your week at WordsWorth. Dorms will be assigned at that time. Registration will begin at 4:00 pm, where participants will select courses, meet the Creative Team and Instructors, and mingle with other writers. The remainder of the day will be devoted to awesome literacy- related, let’s-get-this-week-rolling activities.
Pick-Up: Parents and guests are invited to our final WordsWorth Camp Life Sampler Platter on the Friday of your week at camp. The experience runs from 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm. Tell your parents to be prepared to get involved in camp activities that you sign them up for. Refreshments will be served.
Refer a friend to attend WordsWorth to receive your WordsWorth T-Shirt for free. If you’ve enjoyed WordsWorth in the past, tell your friends. When your friend registers for the first time, make sure they tell us that you sent them so that you can receive your free t-shirt!
(spots for 6 – 12 students, 30 minutes each)
Do you have specific questions about a piece of writing that you would like to ask an author, a poet, a playwright, an editor? Consider signing up for a Blue Pencil Café session! Some of the writers on staff will be available through the week to review, discuss and offer you one-on-one advice on your writing.
Please bring a copy of your work on paper as we likely will not have access to a printer.
Cancellation
| Cancellation Policy | |
| If you cancel: | You will receive: |
| On or before June 7, 2024 | 100% of the registration fees refunded minus a nonrefundable $50 administration fee |
| June 8 – June 24, 2024 | 50% of the registrations fees refunded minus a nonrefundable $50 administration fee |
| After June 24, 2024 | No refund |
Inclusivity at WordsWorth
Wordsworth is committed to creating a safe, inclusive and diverse learning community that allows the campers to learn and interpret the world in which we live through dialogue, social interaction and hands-on activities.
"Like everyone else who comes back to WordsWorth year after year, to me it's a home. The community, the atmosphere, and the people, whether it's the Creative Team members, Colin Matty - our wonderful Director - or the instructors, who are unabashedly kind, hilarious, intelligent, and sweet. Here, I'm home."
Past WordsWorth Instructors & Courses
Videos
Special thanks to Sam Pelkey and Jay Lewis for the music and WordsWorth instructor and director of Reality is Optional Creative Kids’ Programming, Kim Firmston. Thanks so much, everyone!
2017 WGA Promo Video
This video of WordsWorth 2017 was put together by the WGA’s 2017 Summer Intern, Mike Maguire, using photos provided by Kim Firmston.
Photo Albums
Here are some photos from WordsWorth 2018 and WordsWorth 2017, courtesy of Kim Firmston. Photos from WordsWorth 2019 coming soon!
And have a look at THESE PHOTOS from WordsWorth 2016 – courtesy of the amazing Jay Lewis! Thanks so much, Jay!
Posters of the Past
The WGA is Grateful to Our Sponsors
