BADGERDOG CREATIVE WRITING CAMPS
Badgerdog Creative Writing Summer Camps allow students (3rd-12th grade) to immerse themselves in a creative and imaginative writing experience. Badgerdog workshops are led by professional writers and explore the arts of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Learn more by clicking here or scrolling down to visit our FAQ. Scholarships are available based on demonstrated financial need. Please fill out this Google Form to be considered for a scholarship.
Registration is now open!
The schedule of Summer Workshops is available below. Please click on your desired workshop to be taken to our enrollment management system.
Summer Camp 2023 Schedule
Session A: June 5-June 23th (three weeks)
Session A at Meridian School
9:00AM-12:00PM | 3rd & 4th / Lower Elementary | 5th & 6th / Upper Elementary |
9:00AM-12:00PM | 7th & 8th / Middle School | 9th-12th / High School |
Session A at Griffin School
9:00AM-12:00PM | 3rd & 4th / Lower Elementary | 5th & 6th / Upper Elementary |
9:00AM-12:00PM | 7th & 8th / Middle School | 9th-12th / High School |
Session B: June 12-23rd (two weeks)
Session B at Austin International School
South Austin Session: June 12-29th (three weeks)
Note: This location will run Mondays-Thursdays. Ann Richards School will be closed on Fridays.
Session at Ann Richards School
9:00AM-12:00PM CST | 3rd & 4th / Lower Elementary | 5th & 6th / Upper Elementary |
9:00AM-12:00PM | 7th & 8th / Middle School | 9th-12th / High School |
Session C: July 10-21st (two weeks)
Session C at Austin International School
9:00AM-12:00PM | 3rd & 4th / Lower Elementary School | 5th & 6th / Upper Elementary School |
9:00AM-12:00PM | 7th & 8th / Middle School | 9th - 12th / High School |
Session D: July 10-28th (three weeks)
Session D at Trinity Episcopal School
9:00AM-12:00PM | 3rd & 4th / Lower Elementary | 5th & 6th / Upper Elementary | ||
9:00AM-12:00PM | 6th, 7th & 8th / Middle School / Book Crush: The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat | 9th-12th / High School |
Session D at Griffin School
What is Badgerdog Creative Writing Camp?
Each spring break and summer, Badgerdog hosts writing workshops for rising 3rd- through 12th-graders. These fun and challenging writing workshops allow students to work closely with a professional writer as they explore the arts of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and playwriting. All campers experience the joy of reading, writing, and sharing their original work.
At the end of the summer, all three-week summer camp students will have their work published in one of two professionally produced anthologies—Rise, for elementary-aged writers, and Emerge, for middle- and high-school writers. In the fall, Badgerdog hosts a Young Authors Reading & Anthology Launch, where selected campers perform their work and celebrate the launch of the anthologies. All summer camp writers are invited to attend!
Each online workshop will meet daily, M-F, for an hour and a half to read, write, and share together via Zoom. These workshops will be capped at 15 students per workshop. Campers will also use Google Drive to upload their work and receive feedback from their teaching artist as they move through the editing and revision process. Access to Zoom and GDrive will be necessary in order to participate.
For more than 10 years, Badgerdog's Creative Writing Summer Camp has given Austin youth a space to fall in love with writing, discover authentic self-expression, learn from a professional writer, and publish original work. Badgerdog Summer Camp Workshops are labeled according to the grade that students will be entering in the fall. You will see the following workshops on the registration site:
- Lower Elementary School: campers who will be entering 3rd + 4th grade in the fall
- Upper Elementary School: campers who will be entering 5th + 6th grade in the fall
- Middle School Workshop: campers who will be entering 7th + 8th grade in the fall
- High School Workshop: campers who will be entering 9th - 12th grade in the fall
Parents say Badgerdog helps kids and teens write with greater skill, comfort, and enthusiasm. Campers say Badgerdog helps them find confidence and play in the writing process. Read about camper Anya Van Arnam's evolution as a writer through Badgerdog here in the Cedar Park High School Paper.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
At the end of the summer, all three-week summer camp students will have their work published in one of two professionally produced anthologies—Rise, for elementary-aged writers, and Emerge, for middle- and high-school writers. In the fall, Badgerdog hosts a Young Authors Reading & Anthology Launch, where selected campers perform their work and celebrate the launch of the anthologies. All summer camp writers are invited to attend!
If your child has dyslexia, dysgraphia, ASD we can accommodate your child. We’ve heard from parents of other campers with these challenges that Badgerdog is an ideal place to practice writing and learn new skills. We ensure that campers feel encouraged to continue trying, experimenting, finding their voices. We welcome technology that makes writing easier and more accessible for campers. We want to avoid the use of smart phones or anything that may distract other campers, but otherwise such devices are encouraged. Our registration form will allow you to share information about your child with us so we can provide tailored support, or you can contact our Programs Coordinator to discuss questions or concerns before signing up.
In and of itself, writing is a worthy pursuit, but at Badgerdog, we allow writers to take their work from the insides of a spiral notebook out into the world. That’s why each camp session culminates with a reading on-site, where students perform an original poem or story before an audience of fellow writers, parents, family, and friends.
The registration fee includes one copy of our student anthology, Rise or Emerge.
Refund Policy: Full refunds, minus a $50 processing fee, will be granted for requests made more than 30 days prior to the start of the summer session. A partial refund of two-thirds of the registration cost will be granted for requests made between 7 to 30 days prior to the start of the workshop's session. Refunds are not granted for requests made within 7 days of the start of the workshop. Prorated rates and daily drop-in rates are not available for summer camps.
Early Bird Discount: A 10% discount will be applied to summer camp registration before March 1. Use discount code: badgerbird at checkout.
Sibling & Friend Discounts: Parents registering more than one camper at the same time for the same grade-level workshop will automatically receive a 5% discount per registration. Parents registering siblings for separate grade-level workshops can enter code siblings to receive 5% off. This discount can not be used with other discounts and will be available after the early bird discount expires on March 1.
Scholarships: A limited number of full and partial scholarships are available. Scholarships are open to rising 3rd-12th graders who demonstrate financial need and a commitment to writing. Students need not consider themselves “excellent writers” (or even “good writers”) in order to apply. We are most interested in a student’s willingness to grow as a writer and to become part of a community dedicated to learning together. Due to a high demand, scholarships will be limited to one workshop per applicant. Follow this link to complete a scholarship application form.
- 66% of campers say they like writing more as a result of Badgerdog.
- 71% of campers say they are better writers as a result of Badgerdog.
- When asked how campers felt when writing, 94% used a positive phrase, such as "energized," "alive like a bird," "like I have a workable outlet for all of my ideas," or "like a balloon of happiness has just gotten blown up inside me.
What do campers like most about Badgerdog?
- small, supportive classes
- expressing themselves without being judged
- hearing other classmates share their work
- different types of writing exercises to "get us out of our comfort zone"
- meeting new friends and fellow authors
- the creative ways "we learned to write"
Here's what we heard from parents:
- 92% of parents say Badgerdog has a positive impact on their children's writing skills.
- 94% say Badgerdog has a positive effect on their children's attitudes toward writing.
We asked parents to identify the most significant positive effect of summer camp:
- "Attending Badgerdog was the best activity C. participated in this summer. I was so impressed with the high quality of his instructor. The class was well-organized, with engaging, creative activities each day. And she created a safe space for C. to do something he finds pretty terrifying -- explore his own talent. It's a mark of how safe he felt that he actually participated in the end-of-camp reading with very little resistance."
- "Badgerdog drastically reduced writing reluctance, increased writing fluency, and increased interest in sharing writing with others."
- "The green light for self-expression."
- "Having a positive experience with a subject my child doesn't like."
- "It was great seeing and hearing my daughter describe each day of camp -- what she did in class, seeing her so enthusiastic about writing and speaking."
- "Exposure to different forms of writing. My older child was only interested in writing novels before attending camp, and this experience really opened her eyes to other forms."
- "Excitement about being published and having a 'real' author work with my daughter."
- "My daughter is dyslexic and has always been very negative about writing. However, she has had only positive things to say about her experience at camp."
INTERESTED IN CAMP BUT CAN’T ATTEND THIS YEAR? TELL US WHY.
For more information about Badgerdog’s programs, contact Programs Coordinator Katherine Lamb at klamb@austinlibrary.org.
Read students' poems and stories on our blog, Unbound.