Summer Institute
at School One
Find your inner creative self
The Write Rhode Island Creative Institute is a summer camp offered to young creatives in grades 7-12. With only 6-12 campers per session, students receive individualized attention and thrive in a supportive, collaborative environment. More than just a summer camp, our program fosters confidence and a love for creativity.
2026 Programs Offered
Creative Institute
Session #1
July 27- 31
Registration begins February 17, 2026
Creative Institute
Session #2
August 3-7, 2026
Registration begins February 17, 2026
Creative Institute Details
Create, connect, and thrive!
A TYPICAL DAY
9:00 Students arrive and sign in.
9:15-11:30 Morning class begins.
11:30-12:15 Brown bag lunch and games, writing, movement, reading
12:30-2:30 Afternoon class
2:45 Announcements/Goodbye
Fees and Payments
$250 per student (1 week) All fees must be paid in full before the session begins.
Students in grades 7 or 8 (or home school equivalent) can apply for the PPAC ARTS Scholarships for this program. Visit their website for more information.
Scholarship Opportunities
Write Rhode Island offers discounts and need-based scholarships available towards all sessions. Contact us via email, and someone will get back to you soon.
Have a question? Ask Diana!
2026 Summer Program
Morning Session
Animating in Blender: Have you ever wondered how 3D animated movies are made? Come join us for the week and learn how to use Blender, an open-source 3D animation program. We will go over the basics of navigation, keyframes, and materials, with the final day of class dedicated to an organized critique of every student's work. Every level of experience is welcome!
Paper World: Cut, glue, roll, fold, intertwine, stack, and trace—In this sculpture course we will use cardboard, paper, and wire mesh armatures to push the boundaries of paper through many processes. We will then learn how to plan and construct life size 3-D paper sculptures that bring anything from our imagination or surrounding world to life using only paper. We will think about traditions from origami, paper mâché, piñata and more to uncover how to think about universal construction techniques within the forgiving material of paper. Through demos, sharing, collaboration, and presentations we will expand the potential of what paper is capable of becoming.
Jumping into Creating Comics and Manga: If you love comics and manga, join us for this exciting program and discover how to get started with creating comics of your own. You’ll learn the techniques you need to draw your characters, their worlds, and the stories they're a part of. We’ll cover comics drawing fundamentals such as perspective, linework, different kinds of shading, and how to draw facial expressions and figures in action. We'll learn about comic page layouts and lettering, and how to design exciting comic panels. We’ll use pencil and ink, or digital art programs to create characters, plan a project of your own, and get started with drawing it.
Crafty Jewelry: Coming soon
Ceramics: Coming soon.
Zine Machine: Cut, Paste, Create: This workshop focuses on the history and making of zines- self published magazines to be shared in your community. Students will learn how to make their own zines through bookmaking techniques, artistic techniques (drawing, painting, collage, etc.), and learn how to express their own unique and creative voices.
Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeons & Dragons is a collective storytelling game played amongst friends with dice telling you what you can and can't do. Over the course of one week, you are cordially invited to come play D&D, build a character, and go on an adventure. What makes this particular D&D game unique is that we will be taking a break over the course of the game to allow writers space to write the story of their character, with the hope that -- at the end of the week -- the story will continue. No previous D&D experience necessary. Extra readings available.
Coming of Age, Pivotal Moments: The teenage years are a maelstrom of change and self-discovery. These are the times when we might encounter our first love, we might have to say tough goodbyes, our ideas about the world may be changed, or we find ourselves grappling with identity and have to begin to try to answer the essential question of who we are. In this class, through short readings and fiction and non-fiction writing prompts, we will tell stories about the critical moments when a step away from childhood is a step into the future.
Fight Songs: Narrative Poetry: What frustrates you so much you want to scream? The things that annoy us are powerful inspiration for writing, whether we’re protesting systemic injustice, or the fresh hole torn in your favorite sweater. In this workshop, we’ll transform our pet peeves into poetry, reclaiming our complaints through fun writing prompts.
Poetry & Language: A class that examines how poetry uses language to describe concepts of identity and environment.
Build Your Character Discover Your Story: This workshop will focus on building a short story around the main character. To ensure that this story is something that can only happen to your unique character in this unique way, we’re going to create the character first and get to know what I call their 4W’s: their wounds, wants, whims, and wins. A character’s 4 W’s work in conjunction to build potential for tension in their lives, and they all inform how they think, behave, look at and engage with the world, especially if the 4 W’s conflict. Students will also consider narrative point of view, which will dictate how these 4W’s show up on the page.
Poetry & Music Writing: Coming soon.
School One Humanities Comp: School One is offering free math and humanities skills classes as part of our summer program. This is a great opportunity for students to brush up on the basic skills required to pass the School One Competency Exams. Families can check with advisers for more information on whether participation is mandated or advised.
Afternoon Session
Art Explorations: Details coming soon.
Sketchbook Marathon: Imagine, Collect, Reconfigure, Disrupt, Invent—In this class we will attempt to fill as many sketchbook pages as we can. We will explore and experiment in whatever space we find with an array of wet and dry, color and monochrome, photographic, and collage techniques to practice and play with art and image making inside of one sketchbook. Through a combination of warm ups, demos, shifting location, and collective drawing time designed by and for the students we will explore how the environment you draw in, what tools you combine, and how the sketchbook can become a limitless place for fun and development for artistic process and personal art style. The goal of this course is to enrich a group of young artist’s sketchbooks with new perspectives, art materials, and feedback. Each day we will work together to make the course into a playground for creativity and exposure to new things.
3D Printing: Are you curious about how 3D printers work? Do you want to learn basic modeling? This week-long course teaches the process of making, preparing, and 3d printing a model from start to finish. We will also discuss how to refine an object once printed with support removal, sanding, and varnishing. Students can expect to take home a finished model at the end of the week, with the knowledge of how to make infinitely more.
Portraiture: This class will be an introduction to all things portrait- using drawing to further understand the complexities of the face. We will build basic skills in the art of representational portrait making, delving into topics such as facial proportion and anatomy, expression, and likeness. Students will use each other or themselves as references to practice during class time, and will end with the knowledge to begin incorporating portraiture to their artwork in the future. They will leave the class with numerous portrait and facial anatomy sketches as well as one or two more established portrait drawings.
Images in Sequence-Comic Making: This week long workshop would focus on the fundamentals of comics, from simple comic strips to graphic novels. Students will learn about how comics work: as a sequence of images that tell a story. They will create their own short form comics based on original ideas and storytelling.
Let's Make A Movie: Over the course of one week, students will make a short film. We will study film, break down what goes into making a film, and then make a film. All in one week. All are welcome.
Pop Culture Writing: Ancient poets used to write odes to sculptures and paintings. In this workshop, we’ll write narratives inspired by modern-day pop culture from Taco Bell to Bad Bunny. We’ll look to celebrities and contemporary art for our inspiration, crafting multigenre writing from visual art, video clips, video games, and music.
Earth Stories Lab: Writers explore their surroundings through walking, observation and field notes. In class we turn everyday encounters with plants, animals and weather into lively stories and poems.
Women of Poetry: A class focused exploring the feminine experience through women poets and their poetry.
The Dribble, the Drabble: Microfiction for Beginners: This workshop is an introduction to the short short story form, i.e., microfiction. We will explore two genres of microfiction by analyzing the works of others and writing our own.
The dribble- a 50-word short story The drabble- a 100-word short story Microfiction requires concision. You have a limited number of words in which to tell a complete story, from beginning to end, and every word must be necessary. Students will practice precision and editing in order to draft their own dribbles and drabbles. The challenge with these two forms is that the word count must be exact, not a word over or under, all while delivering an impactful ending and a complete narrative arc. Students will read, discuss and write dribbles and drabbles.
School One Humanities Comp: School One is offering free math and humanities skills classes as part of our summer program. This is a great opportunity for students to brush up on the basic skills required to pass the School One Competency Exams. Families can check with advisers for more information on whether participation is mandated or advised.
Morning Session
Sketchbook Activities: In this class, students will learn how to use various drawing activities to brainstorm new and exciting creative ideas. Our sketchbooks will be used to explore observation, memory, and storytelling. We will end the week by developing our own creative processes and sharing them with each other! This class combines drawing, painting and writing into one visual narrative exploration.
Paper World: Cut, glue, roll, fold, intertwine, stack, and trace—In this sculpture course we will use cardboard, paper, and wire mesh armatures to push the boundaries of paper through many processes. We will then learn how to plan and construct life size 3-D paper sculptures that bring anything from our imagination or surrounding world to life using only paper. We will think about traditions from origami, paper mâché, piñata and more to uncover how to think about universal construction techniques within the forgiving material of paper. Through demos, sharing, collaboration, and presentations we will expand the potential of what paper is capable of becoming.
Crafty Jewelry: Coming soon.
Ceramics Slam: Coming soon.
Let's Make A Murder Mystery: Murder! Intrigue! Mayhem! Power! All this and more awaits you in this exploration and study of all the things a good murder mystery touches upon. No experience necessary. All are welcome.
Finding Your Voice: Writing, Art, and Self-Expression: This creative writing and expressive arts workshop invites middle school students to explore who they are, what they feel, and how to express themselves safely and creatively. Through journaling, storytelling, art, movement, and mindfulness, students will build confidence in their voices while learning that their thoughts and experiences matter. The class will emphasize emotional literacy, self-reflection, and creativity in an age-appropriate, trauma-informed way. Students will engage in guided writing prompts, short storytelling exercises, creative art projects, and grounding practices that support focus and self-regulation. No prior writing experience is required—just curiosity and openness. This class creates a brave and supportive space where students can explore identity, emotions, friendships, and personal strengths while developing creative expression skills.
The Art of Observation: How to write a famous diary: Journals and diaries aren't just silly personal records. They can be profound ways to understand what life was like any given point in history. In this class, you'll learn how to pay attention to what's happening around you and make clever observations about strangers, family, friends, and even yourself. We'll learn how to pick up on small details other people miss that can change an ordinary moment into a fascinating story. This class will make you a better storyteller both in writing and in conversation, and you'll come away from the week with stronger journaling skills and habits.
Music Lab: Songwriting and recording. Details coming soon.
Afternoon Session
Comic Books: In this class, students will learn the fundamentals of making their own comic book stories. Students will play drawing games, develop their own characters, learn how to script their own stories, then draw their own comic book pages. The class will end with a published class anthology, where everyone's story will be collected and printed!
Drawing From Life: In this class you'll develop essential drawing skills using charcoal and ink. We will delve into the fundamentals of how to start and practice drawing the things we see in front of us. Each day a new set of objects or things will be at the center of the room that we will attempt to draw from. This class will focus on our vision and observation becoming more coordinated with our hands, and will allow students to get comfortable setting up a drawing board and practicing drawing with a group that ranges in skill level. Through a combination of quick creative warm-up activities and longer drawing exercises, you'll learn to draw with more confidence and greater spontaneity.
Stitch Lab: This class is designed to strengthen abilities with tools related to stitchwork. You will explore hand-sewing, various types of embroidery, sashiko, embellishment and sewing on the sewing machine. We will start with hand sewing, learning about tools and basic stitches, and then move on to simple sewing projects and/or altering items from your closet. In the end, you will have a life long skill to repair your clothing or tailor it to you.
Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeons & Dragons is a collective storytelling game played amongst friends with dice telling you what you can and can't do. Over the course of one week, you are cordially invited to come play D&D, build a character, and go on an adventure. What makes this particular D&D game unique is that we will be taking a break over the course of the game to allow writers space to write the story of their character, with the hope that -- at the end of the week -- the story will continue.No previous D&D experience necessary. Extra readings available.
Love Poems: Narrative Poetry: What do you love so much you want to sing it from the rooftops? Our obsessions are inspiration for powerful writing, whether counting the ways you love your dog or the Earth itself. We’ll read narratives that help us expand our definition of love and care, then transform our affinities into powerful poetry that’s all our own.
Writing the Self: Storytelling, Healing, and Creative Expression: This writing workshop is designed for high school students who want to explore identity, emotions, and personal experiences through writing and creative expression. Using journaling, poetry, narrative writing, mindfulness, and creative arts, students will examine how writing can be a powerful tool for reflection, resilience, and self-discovery. The class introduces trauma-informed storytelling practices—focusing not on retelling trauma in detail, but on agency, meaning-making, and self-expression. Students will explore themes such as identity, boundaries, belonging, growth, and voice while strengthening their writing skills in a supportive and respectful environment. This course is ideal for students who enjoy writing, self-reflection, or creative exploration and want to deepen their voice and confidence. Open to students in grades 9-12.
And Then The Craziest Thing Happened... How to make a true story sound like fiction: Nonfiction often sounds boring. It's in the name: not fiction. But the truth is, reality is often much stranger than fiction. In this class, we'll learn how to be funnier, more compelling storytellers of real-life events. It will help you write better essays in your classes, and it will also give you a foundation for essay writing that will help you if you want to write for a school newspaper.
