Programming in a Pandemic — 916 Ink

submitted by Allison Stelly, 916 Ink

based in Sacramento, Sacramento County

Each summer, we open our creative writing wonderland, the Imaginarium, for our Amplify! Summer Creative Writing Camps. Youth craft stories, create art, form new friendships, and leave as published authors. When shelter-in-place orders began, we knew we needed to figure out how to provide this experience in a virtual setting, to continue serving Sacramento’s most vulnerable youth. Our programming team crafted adventure boxes—packages that included everything a child could need to write creatively at home, as well as a bit of Imaginarium magic. Our facilitators had plenty of practice in leading virtual workshops by the time Amplify! Summer Creative Writing Camps began. They had continued most of our spring programs via Zoom once the shutdowns began and found the best tactics for engaging youth in online workshops. “I was impressed with how staff used the time each day (activities, collaborative storytelling, guest speakers, multimedia projects) and with the supportive and loving staff members who truly amplified [my daughter’s] imagination and her sense of confidence,” said parent Emily Kropp. Though this year’s sessions were a bit different than in the past, we were able to serve over 100 youth this summer! That’s 100 young writers who had the opportunity to improve their literacy skills, increase their confidence, and leave our workshops knowing their voices and stories matter. As parent Christiana Dominguez told us, “I don't think I'm overstating things to say that this camp has lifted her spirits in a way little else has since the start of Shelter-in-Place.”