Altrusa International of Yaquina Bay is once again bringing popular young adult author Dale E. Basye to Lincoln County for their Inspired Writers Project. For the fifth year, Basye will present local sixth graders with fun-filled, fast-paced lessons centered on the joys of reading and writing stories. The project is made possible through Altrusa fund-raising activities, as well as the generous support of the Siletz Tribal Charitable Contribution Fund, and contributions from the Newport Yaquina Bay Optimist Club, Tyee Lodge, and Canyon Way Bookstore.
Basye will conduct four days of classroom workshops from March 29 to April 1 for more than 390 students in Newport, Siletz, Toledo, Lincoln City and Waldport. Author of Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go, a popular and humorous fictional series, Basye engages young readers and writers with a dynamic participatory program. The goal is to inspire young writers at a formative time in their academic career, and each student receives an autographed copy of the first book in the Heck series and writing supplies.
The learning extends well beyond the classroom experience, as Basye will continue to correspond with interested students via email for the rest of the school year. In response to teacher feedback, this year teachers will have an opportunity to meet with Basye outside the classroom at an evening event to explore how to best incorporate Basye’s material into their curriculum.
In 2015, 362 students participated, and Altrusa received extensive feedback from teachers and from well over 100 students. To the question, “Will the program help you to improve your writing?” a student responded, “Definitely! I never thought of envisioning an imaginary world like that! It was genius!” Others wrote, “Well I have a hard time writing by myself so this will help me a lot” and “It will help me improve my writing because he explained how your story can relate to your real life.”
Altrusa International of Yaquina Bay is dedicated to improving the lives of women and children in Lincoln County through literacy, social and health services, and educational opportunities. For more information, please visit http://tinyurl.com/altrusaofyaquinabay
