Now 16 Board Members Strong!
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
News Release
For Immediate Release
Contact: Jim Walker, Managing Director
The Second Story
(317) 408-1366
http://www.secondstoryindy.org
New youth writing center forms first full board,
begins preparation for programming in the fall
INDIANAPOLIS (May 14, 2008) – The Second Story, a writing center for young people opening this summer in Fountain Square, has formed a board of 16 writers, educators and involved citizens determined to make a difference in the city’s literary landscape.
At its first meeting with the full board on May 12, the nonprofit center furthered plans to offer free after-school tutoring and writing workshops in its space in the Murphy Art Center starting in August.
The Second Story, led by managing director Jim Walker and board president Ken Honeywell, will also work to help support writing in schools and host field trips at its facility. The space in the Murphy Center, currently used as an art gallery, will continue to show art of interest to all ages and will feature a small store.
The organization’s board members include: Honeywell, Walker, Mark Need, Scott Woolgar, Matt Mays, Meg Liffick, Robert Parrish, Jason Bearce, Jay Parnell, Linda Brundage, John Green, Cindy Muse, Steve Fox, Barb Shoup, Jont Rogers and Jamey Peavler.
The Second Story is seeking volunteers and supporters. Contact us if you are interested in helping.
Our mission: The Second Story is a grassroots creative writing program for young people in Greater Indianapolis. Through classroom exercises, tutoring, and other special programs taught by writers, The Second Story will help kids 6 to 18 discover their voices, explore their world, and embrace a life of curiosity and self-expression through the practice of creative writing.
April 17 reading—a big success
Friday, April 18, 2008
More than 75 students and parents celebrated National Poetry Month together with a reading presented by The Indiana Partnership for Young Writers at the future home of The Second Story in Fountain Square. Our first event proved a big success for the young readers and their enthusiastic audience.
Eighteen student writers from six different local public and private schools shared their best pieces of writing and received feedback from adults and kids in the audience. Schools represented were: Center for Inquiry IPS No. 2 & No. 84, Brook Park Talent Development Academy, St. Barnabas School, Orchard School and St. Malachy School.
Thanks to all of our readers, the very attentive audience and those who made this great event happen.
The Second Story’s story
Friday, December 14, 2007
Once upon a time in the City of Indianapolis, there lived a small band of do-gooders who were just itching for a way to help inspire kids to do better in school. Now, it just so happened that these do-gooders were writers…and it just so happened that the closer they looked, the clearer it became that schoolkids in Indianapolis didn’t get much instruction in creative writing.
Which struck them as curious. Because they also noticed that kids who did get into creative writing were better, more enthusiastic readers and tended to do better in other subjects, too. In fact, creative writing seemed to be the sort of thing to introduce kids’ brains to a whole world of interesting stuff.
So why weren’t teachers teaching kids creative writing? Well…
Lots of them weren’t confident enough in their own writing skills to teach creative writing to their classes. Some of them didn’t think they were qualified to judge creative writing. The big reason, though, was that kids never got tested on creative writing—and there were so many things kids had to be tested on that creative writing fell by the wayside.
Which is right where our small band of do-gooders found it. So they picked it up, dusted it off, and, after a whole lot of gabbing and planning and making trips to faraway lands to investigate how other do-gooders were getting this sort of thing done, they decided it was just the thing they were looking for.
And that’s how the Second Story was born.
The Second Story is dedicated to the idea that engaging kids in creative writing opens their minds. It will help them do better in school. It will encourage them to stay in school. It will help them communicate the stories of their lives and understand and appreciate others’ stories. It will make the city a better place for kids, who will grow up to become more imaginative, curious adults, which will make the city a better place for everyone.
And all of that imagination and curiosity bursting out of the city of Indianapolis will make the whole world a better place.
Does that seem reasonable? Of course not. It’s ridiculous to think that a small band of do-gooders teaching creative writing to kids can change the world any time soon.
Thank goodness we’re getting started now.
