Shorewood and Cascade K-8 students honored by Writers in the Schools program

The Shoreline community is invited to the Annual Seattle Arts and Lectures Writers in the Schools Reading.

The Writers in the Schools Program (WITS) places professional local writers in public schools to develop writing skills and spark inspiration. Since 1994, the WITS program in the Seattle area has been helping students discover their own authentic voices. The year-end reading celebrates the self-expression of these talented student writers.

The student readers will include Shorewood High School student Ana Barnes and Cascade K-8 students Olivia McGuire and Annie Zemouri.

The readings will take place at the Central Branch of the Seattle Public Library. Elementary school students will be featured on Wednesday, May 21 in the Microsoft Auditorium, Level 1 of the Library, and High School students will be featured on Thursday, May 22 on Level 4, Room 1, both beginning at 6pm. The events are free and open to the public. A reception will follow with sweets donated by Cupcake Royale.

From songs to sonnets, from cover letters to love letters, WITS inspires young people to discover and develop their authentic writing and performance voices. The program matches a local creative writer with a public school or hospital to design innovative and culturally-relevant lesson plans that meet education standards while engaging students. 

Teachers report that students’ quality of writing improves, and students gain confidence in their self-expression.