Since 2001, middle school students have come from the Grand Rapids area and farther to participate in the Middle School Writers Workshop. The last Writers Workshop brought more than 1,000 students to Calvin College's campus to sharpen their writing skills and listen to well-known authors talk about their work.
During the Middle School Writers Workshop, students come together to listen to a professional talk about what it means to make a living as a writer. Students also participate in two workshops where they gather in smaller groups to cultivate their own writing. Many of the students choose to create and submit their own work in the Golden Pen Awards Contest. Awards in six different genres are presented to the recipients during the event. In the end, students leave the Writers Workshop empowered, thinking of themselves as writers and believing in their dreams and skills.
