Our Story:
Kids lead highly structured lives – they wake up, they go to school, they come home, do their homework, take a shower, (sometimes) brush their teeth, and go to sleep. In a digital age, too, it’s no secret that the minds and habits of young people have changed a lot. To slow down is rebellious, to unplug is radical.
Although structure can be a good discipline, and technology a helpful asset, there’s not a lot of time for reflection, and there’s rarely a place to go to that’s not defined by adults or by some big looming institution. Even if they do find the time and space, it can feel like no one’s listening.
Writing is an invaluable exercise both as an outlet and a building block. However, in school, writing is taught more like math. It’s stiff and analytical. It must ladder to a point, and be backed by evidence not feeling. Assignments are graded by necessity, which means students are inherently trying to meet a rubric or criteria. They’re working backwards from a prescribed answer, rather than exploring forward from an idea.
Writing is not really about writing. It’s about thinking. It helps you organize your mind. As you learn to clarify your thoughts and emotions more efficiently and accurately, you can communicate more effectively with yourself and with others, which will make you wiser, more fulfilled, and happier.
Finch Writing Club is a place for young people to learn how to write, but more importantly, it’s a place for them to discover who they are and what they have to say.
We’re listening.
Six Pillars of Writing:
“Run the Tap”
“Tilt the Axis”
“Trust Your Compass”
“Tools Not Rules”
“Cut Your Darlings”
“Find the Music”
When you join one of our classes, you’re also granted login access to Penzu, a private online journal site, which allows our students to collect their stories throughout the semester, read other students’ writing, and continue editing their pieces from home. We find that the nature of a customizable digital journal is exciting to kids and lets them engage with each other, further incentivizing them to write.
Relevant Articles:
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“Research and anecdotal evidence point to the many physical and mental health benefits of journaling; chief among them are better immune system function, stress reduction and lower rates of depression. Emily Edlynn, a child psychologist based in Illinois, encourages her patients to journal as a way of “managing difficult emotions — to externalize them and get them out of their heads and on to paper.”
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“Recent studies suggest that creative activities, including creative writing, help children develop self-esteem, mindfulness, feelings of achievement, empowerment, and empathy. Creative writing is a fantastic way for children to explore their imaginations and process their feelings. When your child learns how to communicate using their own voice, they will feel happy and confident.”
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“Engaging with art is essential to the human experience. Almost as soon as motor skills are developed, children communicate through artistic expression. The arts challenge us with different points of view, compel us to empathize with “others,” and give us the opportunity to reflect on the human condition.”
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“I’m often asked to judge children’s writing competitions and some of the best stuff I’ve read is where children have preserved their own regional dialect or the spelling is phonetic. Perhaps it’s not the spelling you’d want on a perfect CV, but in terms of self-expression it feels true. “I always say to children – don’t look at your iPhone, the whiteboard or a computer, just stare out of the window, let your mind wander and think about what you can see. Whether you like it or not, you will start to have ideas.”
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“For students, sharing their own stories of bravery, resilience, and determination brings these qualities to the forefront of their minds and helps solidify the belief that underlies a growth mindset: I can improve and grow. We know from research in neuroplasticity that when students take baby steps to achieve a goal and take pride in their accomplishments, they change their brains, growing new neural networks and fortifying existing ones.”
