Originally our work was to enable writer in residence workshops but we soon realized they just weren't enough support for writers. They are excellent trainings that provide an intensive 20 hours with an established writer, mentoring emerging writers throughout. We rounded out the programme with one time workshops that last 2-3 hours called One Offs, e workshops online for 2 hours with small groups of 5 students workshopping their pieces, and longer trainings in the diploma programme--which we are currently designing.
You can't train writers without instructors, so one of our most important projects is to teach our emerging writers how to facilitate trainings on creative writing. Our summer facilitator training does just that, taking 10 promising students and turning them into teachers. We also plan to launch a training trainers programme that works with educators and professionals to improve writing and enable them to teach writing to their students and colleagues respectively.
Finally, our vision is to foster a community of writers--that means editors, publishers, programmers, photographers and more--all of the people who make the writing possible. Join one of our special trainings on digital story telling and photography or see what internships we offer our students to professionalize their writing either locally or abroad. Lastly, we are working towards the first ever VONA Palestine: a week long residency programme for writers from around the Middle East (coming summer 2012).
