2026 Summer Writing Camp

The 2026 Summer Writing Camp invites writers of all ages to write, explore, and share their work. The day will include workshops led by local writers and a guided tour with naturalist, Emily Greve. Lunch will be provided.

Click Here to register.

Schedule:

10:00-11:00 Open Critique

Share, listen and provide feedback with the group on previously written work

11:00-Noon Session Wren

-Poetry writing with Philip Terman

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-Prose writing with RW Franklin

12:00-12:45 Lunch

Lunch will be provided

12:45-1:45 Optional Trail Walk

Ecology trail walk with naturalist Emily Greve

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Indoor writing activity

2:00-3:00 Session Red Fox

Poetry writing with Ben Gulyas

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Prose writing with Cherise Benton

Session descriptions for Summer Writing Camp

Session Wren 11:00-noon

The Poetry of Empathy with Philip Terman

In this class, the tales and anecdotes of others will be prompts into poems.

Getting Inside Our Own Heads with RW Franklin

Trick your characters into giving you information that might otherwise stay hidden.

Session Red Fox 2:00-3:00pm

Envisioning Nature Through Poetry with Ben Gulyas

Explore your poetic voice as a vision of yourself and the nature of the world around you.

Revising your story with Cherise Benton

In this session, participants will begin forming revision plans through short writing exercises inspired by the nature walk.

Teaching artist bios:

Cherise Benton is a poet and storyteller from Youngstown. She mostly writes about food, flowers, and the moon, and studies folktale arcana and the creative process. She earned an MFA in Creative Writing at Wilkes University and is a Cave Canem fellow.

RW Franklin lives in Northeast Ohio with her spoiled cat (Gus) and loyal dog (Lily) where she and her husband operate a small business. Her writing has appeared in Noctua Review, The Elevation Review, Jenny Magazine, Five:2:One Magazine's #thesideshow, and more. RW has served on the board of directors for local nonprofit Lit Youngstown and enjoys facilitating writing groups in her local community.

Ben Gulyas hails from South Euclid. Along the road of poetry readings over the years he has found himself at home. He keeps trying to translate poetry into something useful like seeds, birds and moon atlases. Sometimes it happens. Birds inside moons, poems inside birds, the poet somewhere in between.

Philip Terman’s recent books include My Blossoming Everything and Our Portion: New and Selected Poems. He’s published in many journals and anthologies, including Poetry, The Sun, and Poetry International. Retired from Clarion University, he directs the non-profit Bridge Literary Arts Center in Venango County, PA.

Who can attend:

All ages are welcome, and will be writing together. Kids under the age of 12 should be accompanied by an adult.

What to bring:

Your preferred writing equipment (notebook, pen, device)

Walking shoes for easy hike with naturalist Emily Greve (optional)

6 copies of a poem or single page of prose for the 10:00 workshop with other writers. Start your day with some fresh ideas. (You are welcome to come and listen, or sleep an extra hour and come for the 11:00 session)

Where to park:

The large parking lot by Ford Nature Center. The education building is the smaller brick building beyond the nature center. We will be in the upstairs and downstairs rooms. There is no elevator, but the curved sidewalk provides an accessible entrance to both stories.