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Writers of the Week --- Gjirokaster & Memaliaj


Write On! is in full swing here in the southern region of Albania. We have an amazing group of students participating in both the city of Gjirokastër as well as in the small town of Memaliaj, 40 kilometers north of Gjirokastër. Both groups are predominately attended by girls, but we have a few boys who brave all the estrogen. We have grades 7th – 12th represented between both locations. We are offering 5 fun-filled, weekly creative writing practice sessions, leading up to the big Write On! International Competition on February 20th.

We start each session with a fun action activity… something that keeps the kiddos on their feet and minds a-moving. We move on to creativity warm-ups then into different practice writing activities. Using both the Write On! Albania Creative Writing Handbook, and also the internet for fun, new activities and prompts to keep all the students engaged.

During the first session, we used the Circle Game to learn each other’s names as well as learn a little something new about one another. The Long Sentence game was a big hit, as everyone was warming up to the idea of thinking outside the box and stretching their imaginations. We’ve used various prompts, including: “The most beautiful smile I ever saw…” and “I screwed up…” This week, we’re introducing the kids to “Mad Libs”… a game steeped in much history for me, as my brother and I played it on all our long car trips laughing away mile after mile at all the crazy story silliness.

Last summer, Write On! Gjirokastër had its inaugural Write On! Gjirokastër Summer Camp. It was a huge success, in part because of all the wonderful volunteers who came and offered such amazing classes as “Fairytales & Folklore,” "Journalistic Writing,” “Blog Writing” and “Writing Tips.” The students who attended (ranging from ages 11 to 18) had a blast, telling us that they really loved the experience and wanted to do it again. So, this coming June, we’ll offer the 2nd Annual WO!Gj Summer Camp, and we hope that we’ll have even more participation, not only by volunteers, but also by even more youth from in and around Gjirokastër!

I think that what makes Write On! work for my city is that these lessons allow students to branch out, think for themselves, express themselves as individuals, something that they aren’t actively encouraged to do in school. They love the activities, the games, and the time they are allowed to transport themselves away from their everyday lives. Participating in both the Write On! competition and summer camp, has given me great insight into how much the students here seek change, seek challenge… they seek creativity!

Congrats Write On! Gjirokaster and Memaliaj! You guys are throwing one hard punch in this year's competition. Good luck to you all and keep spreading that creativity down south! You guys rock!


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