Welcome.

The Muse Youth Program believes that power, healing, and change happen when creative writing meets community and inspiration. By offering young minds creative writing classes, mentorship programs, and community events, we welcome young writers to explore and develop their unique voices, improve their craft, and pursue professional opportunities in the literary world. We hope to foster a nurturing environment where writers of all stripes come together, share ideas, and experience the power that words can hold. 

Creative Writing Classes for Kids & Teens 

The Muse Writers Center is excited to offer these creative writing classes for free during the 2023 Spring session.

Young Writers Workshop ( In-Person)

Creative Writing for Middle School Youth  (Saturday Mornings In-Person)

Creative Writing for Middle School Youth  (Saturday Afternoons In-Person)

Creative Writing for High School Teens (Hybrid)

Advanced Workshop for High School Seniors

Teen Zine Musings

The Muse Writers Center offers our teen students the opportunity to submit to our in-house zine, Musings. If you've attended a class, club or event affiliated with The Muse,  we welcome you to submit!

Currently, submissions are closed, but will re-open in Spring 2023.

Creative Writing Summer Camps

Registration is open for our 2023 Creative Writing Summer Camps! Our one-week creative writing camps will explore comics, screenwriting, fiction, poetry, and songwriting.  All camps run July 17-July 21, 2023.

Creative Writing Summer Camp: Elementary School (ages 8-10)

Creative Writing Summer Camp: Middle School (ages 11-13)

Creative Writing Summer Camp: High School (ages 14-17)

Register soon! Our camps fill up fast.

Teen Writers Fellowship

This program is open to any sophmore or junior high school student local to the Hampton Roads area. Those selected have access to free creative writing classes and mentorship from professional writers.

Applications are open for the 2023 Fellowship. Apply here! Applications close January 17, 2023. Applicants will be contacted with results by January 25, 2023.

Muse Opportunities

Internships

We offer a number of opportunities for students to receive hands-on experience with us, one of the nation's largest literary centers. Our last editorial intern assisted with our literary journal, made in partnership with Norfolk Academy, called Just A Phase.

Teen Writers Club

Join us at The Muse Writers Center, in person or online, every second and fourth Monday for the Teen Writers Club! The club is open to all teens with an interest in any creative writing form, including songwriting, comics, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and anything else word related. You don’t need to be a Muse student to participate—drop by anytime during club open hours and stay for as long as you like.

Teen Open Mic Nights

We regularly host teen readings and open mic nights, both virtual and in person.  Our next open mic, the Halloween Teen Open Mic, is on October 28th from 6-8 PM. All forms of creative writing are welcome, from spoken word, to fiction, to personal essay and song (sorry, no bands).  We'd love to see you there!

If you have any questions or are interested in co-hosting a youth event or co-sponsorships, please contact our youth coordinator Jessica Grace Kelley at jessica@the-muse.org.