Summer Workshop Series
The Summer Workshop Series is not affiliated with any clubs. This page is purely for promotional purposes, as the team who brought you the Lighthouse deeply believe in the value of creative writing and literature.
What
The transformative power of art is now more relevant than ever. Art gives us a glimpse into the world, in all of its beauty and terror and brilliance. But more than that, art is a shard of limerence that gives us a glimpse into the soul. Here in Pleasanton, we believe writing at its essence is a form of empathy that pushes us toward personal growth.
The Summer Workshop Series is a local, student-led and non club-affiliated initiative for middle and high school writers from Pleasanton to participate in a writing journey that dismantles and reimagines the limits placed on our artistic expression.
Through weekly workshops, office hours, and prompts led by accomplished lecturers, students will explore the infinite possibilities for metamorphosis that language holds, developing their personal craft and literary ambitions.
Who
Lecturers are current and former students from Pleasanton high schools (Amador Valley, Quarry Lane, Foothill) who are extensively involved with the literary scene.
All middle and high schoolers who attend school in Pleasanton or are located in Pleasanton are eligible to participate in the workshops and office hours. No prior experience with writing necessary; we are looking for passionate, collaborative students with an appreciation of language and a desire to improve.
When
The Summer Workshop Series will last from June 15, 2020 to August 9, 2020.
Students do not need to attend every single week, be active throughout the entire program, or even start on June 15. They may simply select which weeks they are interested in and attend the activities for their indicated weeks.
Workshops will be held on Mondays, 3:45 pm to 4:45 pm, on Zoom (the link will be sent out to those who sign up for that specific class), and office hours will be on Fridays, 3:45 pm to 4:45 pm as well.
How
Each lesson is a combination of the workshop and classroom experience and will cover everything from urgent themes in writing to different literary techniques. We hope that in this way, students not only receive a solid grounding of the technical aspects of prose and poetry, but are able to explore diverse topics and find their own writing voice. Each week will be accompanied by a prompt that students may respond to and ask for feedback about.
Furthermore, office hours will be held each week, and students may come in to ask for clarification on a concept, request feedback from lecturers, or just talk about writing and/or life! Through the program, there will be opportunities for peer review, discussions, and collaborations with fellow writers.
Donate
Every workshop this summer will be completely free of charge, but since we believe in the power of performative activism and inciting change, both through literary means and otherwise, we encourage participants and readers the chance to donate to organizations supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. We have links directly to the Trans Cultural District in San Francisco, created by three black trans women, the Black Lives Matter fund, and a GoFundMe dedicated to rebuilding black Oakland businesses.
This donation is completely optional, but we hope all participants support these organizations with as much as they can afford to spare. Click here to donate.
Schedule
Week 1 (June 15, 2020 to June 21, 2020): Imagery in poetry with Kanchan Naik
Week 2 (June 22, 2020 to June 28, 2020): Dystopian worlds with Claire McNerney
Week 3 (June 29, 2020 to July 5, 2020): Hope with Shirley Wang
Week 4 (July 6, 2020 to July 12, 2020): Characterization in prose with Trisha Khattar
Week 5 (July 13, 2020 to July 19, 2020): Writing as protest and activism with the founders
Week 6 (July 20, 2020 to July 26, 2020): Form in poetry with Vivien Song
Week 7 (July 27, 2020 to August 2, 2020): Writing personal history/culture with Arushi Avachat
Week 8 (August 3, 2020 to August 9, 2020): Perspective in prose with Angela Chen