A dozen IDEAS Academy writers attended the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater High School Creative Writing Festival November 20 to either share their writing or participate in workshops. One of them, Taylor Gebert, earned a third place award for her piece, “Untitled“, in the category of Fan Fiction/Sci-Fi/Fantasy.
Manuscripts were sent to UWW in mid-October. Professional writers read the works and provided written feedback. Then, at the Festival, the students read their work to small audiences and heard feedback from both peers and the professional writer who facilitated the discussion. Fifty-minute workshops occurred throughout the day with four or five student writers featured in each.
The favorite part of the Festival for Kelsey Fick was “Just listening to other people’s work and hearing what other people are writing about.”
Students also took part in an Open Mic in the afternoon, a casual chance to share songs, slam, stories, and poems to rounds of loud applause.
“The open mic was the best part,” Fick said.
Miranda Kelm entered her work in the poetry category.
“Being more confident in your writing and being more confident in general,” are a couple of the benefits of being part of the Festival,” Kelm said. “It’s your own thing. You created it!”
About 600 writers from Wisconsin and Illinois attended the Festival, which is in its 28th year. The next Festival will be held Wednesday, November 19, 2014.
Photos: The Red Cross projected that the IDEAS blood drive could provide 29 pints of blood, but we surpassed their goal with 33 pints!
IDEAS and Mosaic artists were featured alongside other literary professionals in a local 100 Thousand Poets for Change event at Mead Library on September 28.
Photos: IDEAS Academy held its Spring Exhibitions of Learning at the JMKAC on May 28 and 30.
Jacob was awarded the Kohler Foundation Scholarship at Exhibitions of Learning on Thursday, May 30.
Thirty students spent a warm May 1 in Milwaukee as part of the IDEAS Academy’s college readiness program.
Morp has been traditionally "prom", but more schools have transitioned from regular prom, to the new theme based or non-traditional prom.
Video: Congratulations Jacob, IDEAS Academy Senior
Lots of the students from the IDEAS academy enjoy taking the movement classes.
Video: IDEAS Academy Improv class presented a cover of The Black Keys song "Tighten Up".
The IDEAS Academy had a goal of 100% college acceptance for every graduating 2013 senior.
In place of formal written finals, IDEAS Academy students present their semester long project twice a year in a public venue.