Our participants this year rocked! We had fourteen young writers, grades six through twelve, and they seemed to bond almost immediately. Before the workshop even began, they were standing in a circle--in true teenage fashion--and laughing about their various school experiences. The facilitators looked over from our mini discussion in the corner and just went, "Wow!"
The writing was just as awesome as the participants. We're hoping all the participants will submit their writing to be considered for publication in Ink-Filled Page. We'll have our work cut out for us in choosing the top four, though!
At the end of the workshop, the participants went home with goodie bags worth over $100 each, thanks to donations from Portland's amazingly supportive publishing community. This year's sponsors included: Amber Lotus, Dark Horse Comics, Ink & Paper Group, Oni Press, Ooligan Press, Pastrycat, St. Johns Bookstore, and the Writers' Dojo. Teen Ink was also a great supporter and donated a few issues for each teen to take home.
I'd also like to send out a huge thank you to our facilitators Jan Underwood, Kristin Thiel, and Jeff Selin for their generosity in donating their time to make this event happen.
Stay tuned for more workshops in the future. We're considering expanding Ink Splash to occur more often, perhaps quarterly or even weekly during a semester or summer program. What would work best for you? We want to hear it! Please take a moment to complete the poll in the sidebar.
Thanks again to all our participants, sponsors, and facilitators!
