The Young Writers Institute (YWI) originally launched in the 1980s as the Summer Institute for Writing and Thinking Across the Curriculum. It was a 3-week long program designed to support high school students in Tucson, Arizona to gain fluency and confidence in academic writing skills. The program was unique in that that it brought students to the University of Arizona campus from across the city to participate in non-traditional learning environments that served to provide deep and meaningful educational experiences. The program grew through the years to include field trips to places across campus that inspired learning, fun, and writing, such as the Main Library, the Art Museum, the Tree Ring Lab, and the Poetry Center. For a number of years, the program also included a companion course for middle and high school instructors. The most recent iteration of the program has been the Writing Personal Statements program available online.
"I feel better about writing, especially writing about myself. I understand that stressing and shutting down isn't good for writing, and going through this program has helped with that."
More Information
Read more about the Young Writers Institute in the UA College of Humanities News .
Watch videos about past institutes on our YouTube channel.
The Young Writers Institute is appreciative to have received the following awards:
- 2018 Marshall Foundation Award
- 2017 College of Humanities Teaching and Outreach Grant