Spartan Writing Camps

Please note: You can view all of this information, along with teacher bios, on our website: https://rcwp.msu.edu/swc/

Grades 3-5, Full Day 9:00 AM-3:30 PM

Maximum Enrollment: 20 students

Session Description: Young witches and wizards, pick up your wand and embrace your creativity in a Wizarding World of Writing! Do you dream about attending a school for magic or having your own magical adventure? If so, then this camp is for you. Writers in this camp will grow their imagination through different types of activities including creating spellbooks, making wands, exploring the Michigan State University campus, and so much more! This Spartan Writing Camp has invited writers into a magical space of imagination for seven years. Join us and grow the witch or wizard within.

Teachers: Elana Waugh and Dawn Reed

Grades 3-5, Full Day 9:00 AM -3:30 PM

Maximum Enrollment: 10 students

Session Description: Calling all amateur detectives! Do you love mysteries, CSI investigations, treasure maps? If you answered yes, this is the camp for you. Unleash your inner detective to solve mysteries and embark on several thrilling adventures. Writers in this camp will grow their observation skills, solve puzzles, participate in a CSI investigation and of course write! We will explore the Michigan State University campus to help us with our clue finding. This Spartan Writing Camp is taught by Annette Kelly, a Red Cedar Writing Project consultant.

Teacher: Annette Kelly

Grades 3-5, Full Day 9:00 AM-3:30 PM

Maximum Enrollment: 10 students

Session Description: Are you an admirer of little things: a buzzing bee, a leaf on a tree, a dragonfly wing, a croaking frog, interesting words, the chime of a clock, a favorite ice cream flavor, and more? Yes? Then this camp is for you. We are going to go on daily fieldtrips around the MSU campus to capture the little things through our writing and photographs. By the end of camp, we will each have a blankbook filled with pictures and stories about the little things we love best. Come join the adventure! You will be led by National Writing Consultant (also a lover of the little things), Mrs. Mary Wilkinson. This session is a full day so please be sure to bring snacks, water, and a lunch each day of camp.

Teacher: Mary Wilkinson

Grades 3-5, Half Day 12:30 PM-3:30 PM

Maximum Enrollment: 10 students

Session Description: The MSU landscape is full of places to pause in awe of natural beauty–and such spaces are also perfect for writing! In this half-day afternoon camp designed especially for writers who love nature, students will learn about some of the world’s most famous naturalists and spend time enjoying some of the most beautiful places on campus–including the MSU Horticulture Garden, Beal Botanical Garden, Sanford Natural Area, and Red Cedar River. A trip to the MSU Dairy Store is also included! Writing prompts will invite students to observe their surroundings, explore their imaginations, and discover new stories and poetry within them. Please wear closed-toe shoes and expect to walk during this writing camp; also please bring a beach towel or blanket to sit upon the ground.

Teacher: Jen Garmon

Grades 1-2, Half Day 12:30-3:30

Maximum Enrollment: 16 students

Session Description: Unleash your child's imagination with “Creative Writing in STEM” where young minds engineer boats that float, design planes that soar, and explore the fascinating world of pollinators and plants! Budding architects will investigate a local bridge's amazing structure and create their own bridge. Future scientists will discover the delicious science of states of matter with a special trip to the MSU Dairy Store. Perfect for incoming first and second graders who love to build, write, and let their creativity soar! Your child's curiosity and storytelling skills will grow through hands-on STEM activities and creative writing adventures.

Teachers: Tracy Grennell and Lindsey Ryan

Grades 1-2, Half Day 9:00 AM-12:00 PM

Maximum Enrollment: 16 students

Session Description: Interact with animals and work on creative writing and self expression. We will take a bird walk learning about migratory birds of Michigan. Explore the Beal gardens while looking at frogs and their life cycle. Then take a field trip on campus to discover the world of insects. Finally, walk to the MSU Dairy Store and see how ice cream is made.

Teachers: Tracy Grennell and Lindsey Ryan

Grades 6-8, Full Day 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM

Maximum Enrollment: 10 students

Session Description: Have you ever loved a story so much you wish it didn’t end? Had a favorite character you don’t want to let go of? Fanfiction offers so many exciting opportunities to build your own worlds or expand on the ones that already exist. Unleash your creativity and take your favorites on a brand new, no-limits adventure. Take a modern-day character and put them in a world of dragons, turn them into a wizard, write the sequel that doesn’t exist. The hero in your favorite story can experience a new life in another world.

Teacher: Tania de Sostoa-McCue

Grades 9-12, Half Day12:30-3:30 PM

Maximum Enrollment: 20 students

Session Description: Heroes. Monsters. Epic battles. Tragic fates. Embark as an aspiring role-player into the realms of imagination drawing on systems like Dungeons and Dragons and Quest. Join fellow adventurers in crafting epic tales, creating exciting characters, honing your storytelling skills, and conquering the challenges of roadblocks in a fantasy story. Unleash your creativity, forge friendships, and emerge from this quest with tales that will echo through the ages. Prepare to journey into the fantastical world of words and wield the power of your character’s voice through role-playing storytelling!

Teachers: Bethany Meadows and Amanda Hawks

Grades 9-12, Full Day 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM

Maximum Enrollment: 10 students

Session Description: One of the best things about being a young person is the ability to use your voice. In this camp, we will investigate protesting through the decades, in the form of songs and poetry. We will have the opportunity to interview several advocacy groups on MSU’s campus, and learn how we can best be involved in our community around us.

Teacher: Savannah Harris

Grades 9-12, Virtual Session 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Maximum Enrollment: 10 students

Session Description: Have you ever wanted to carve out time for yourself to just write about things that are important to you? Maybe there’s a story you’ve started, but never finished or an idea for a poem that you haven’t had a chance to write? This session is for all practicing or emerging writers. We will start each day with a writing warm-up, read and discuss a poem of the day, hear tips and best practices from established writers, and of course…enjoy personal writing time, with a share-out to close each day. At the end of this week, you will have your own writing portfolio, resources to hone your craft, and a community of fellow writers like you.

Teacher: Monica DeGarmo

Grades 6-8, Full Day 9:00 AM-3:30 PM

Maximum Enrollment 20 students

Stories and images come alive when they tell a story together through graphic novels. Writers in this camp will explore cartooning, illustrating, and storytelling. In this camp, we will be inspired by exploring the genre and elements of graphic novels, with inspiration from the Michigan State University campus, fellow writers, and so much more! Come create stories with words and images connecting on the page.

Teachers: Amy Huntley and Lori Van Hoesen

Grades 3-5, Full Day 9:00 AM-3:30 PM

Maximum Enrollment: 10 students

Session Description: Have you ever wanted to change a story? Most people write in first person, but have you ever tried another perspective or view? Twisted Tales: Maybe the Big Bad Wolf isn’t so bad- just misunderstood, maybe Goldilocks accidentally arrived at the wrong address, maybe there is a better ending to your favorite story, it’s all up to you and the perspective or view you want to write. Other Writing Fun: As a camper in this session you will take daily field trips on the MSU Campus, write sidewalk poetry, become an ice cream detective, find history mysteries, hug a tree, take a scavenger hunt and more. Come have fun seeing the world in a different way and write about what you discover. You will be led by Mrs. Mary Wilkinson, a National Writing Consultant. This is a full day, so campers should bring snacks, water, and lunch each day of camp.

Teacher: Mary Wilkinson

Grades 3-5, Half Day 12:30 PM-3:30 PM

Maximum Enrollment: 20 students

Session Description: Observe the Earth and discover the beauty it has to offer while creating poems such as Haiku, Free Verse, Acrostic, and Cinquain. Writers will explore hidden worlds through magnifying glasses, craft verses inspired by sparkling river waters, and create whimsical pinwheels that dance with their words. From the enchanting Beal Garden to the flowing Red Cedar River, every moment becomes an opportunity for creative expression.

Teachers: Tracy Grennell and Elana Waugh

Grades 6-8, Full Day 9:00 AM-3:30 PM

Maximum Enrollment: 10 students

Session Description: In this camp, students will engage in Sports Journalism. We are very fortunate to be able to connect with many of MSU’s diverse athletes in order to generate inspiration for our sports writing. We will also be able to visit MSU’s State News, to learn all about Journalism. If sports is your life, come join us in Sports Writing!

Teacher: Savannah Harris

Grades 1-2, Half Day 9:00 AM-12:00 PM

Maximum Enrollment: 16 students

Session Description: Loose Parts and Tiny Things is a camp for beginning writers that will spark a child’s imagination and inspire innovation through play. Campers will spend time playing with loose parts- ordinary, every day, open-ended materials and searching for tiny things that appeal to the camper's eye. We will use these tools as a springboard for writing short stories. By the end of the week, campers will become storytellers, creating oral and written stories.

Teachers: Tracy Grennell and Elana Waugh

Grades 3-5, Full Day 9:00 AM-3:30 PM

Maximum Enrollment: 10 students

Session Description: Do you love visiting libraries and being surrounded by books? In this full-day camp, students will learn about libraries all over the world, including some with unexpected origins and ones found in unusual places. Students will also explore some of the most magical and inviting places inside the MSU Main Library–including the Rare Books Collection, MakerSpace, and Digital Scholarship Lab. A variety of library-related writing prompts will leave students thinking like storytellers and librarians, and everyone will have the chance to design unique, futuristic dream libraries as well. A trip to the MSU Dairy Store is also included!

Teacher: Jen Garmon

Grades 9-12, Virtual Session 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Maximum Enrollment: 10 students

Session Description: Congratulations! You have just been signed a deal to write your very own personal memoir. Here’s the catch, you only have 4 days to come up with chapter titles of your book, an epigraph (opening quote or poem) that sets the tone for your story, and one sample chapter to send to your publisher. You’ll have time to reflect, brainstorm, and write about formative experiences in your life (silly, serious, or anything in between), as well as explore tools and tips for memoir writing. For this session, you will be part of a writing community and at the end of the week, we will have a memoir showcase to share our work with each other.

Teacher: Monica DeGarmo

Grades 9-12, Half Day 12:30 PM-3:30 PM

Maximum Enrollment: 20 students

Session Description: Embark on a literary odyssey of legendary creatures, daring quests, and forgotten myths as you create your own unforgettable tales. If you love mythology, fantasy, or just telling a great story, this half-day summer writing camp is for you! Through fun challenges, creative writing games, and group storytelling, you’ll bring epic adventures to life—whether it’s a modern-day monster hunt, a lost civilization’s secrets, or a villain’s untold story. By the end of the week, you’ll bring your myth to life in your own way—whether through a short story, a play, a diorama, or another creative project. Ready to make your mark on the mythic world? Join us and let the legend begin!

Teachers: Bethany Meadows and Amanda Hawks

Grades 9-12, Half Day Online 12:30 PM-3:30 PM

Maximum Enrollment: 10 students

Session Description: Have you ever loved a story so much you wish it didn’t end? Had a favorite character you don’t want to let go of? Fanfiction offers so many exciting opportunities to build your own worlds or expand on the ones that already exist. Unleash your creativity and take your favorites on a brand new, no-limits adventure. Take a modern-day character and put them in a world of dragons, turn them into a wizard, write the sequel that doesn’t exist. The hero in your favorite story can experience a new life in another world.

Teacher: Tania de Sostoa-McCue

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Bessey Hall, 434 Farm Lane, East Lansing, United States