Kids learn that words have power
Children in the summer program offered by Neighborhood Outreach Connection (NOC) participated in a writing program presented by the Island Writers’ Network of Hilton Head (IWN). The 27 children who participated ranged from 4th to 9th graders with various levels of writing proficiency.
“The collaboration between IWN and NOC has truly inspired our students to become more creative and confident in their writing. They’ve come to understand that writing is so much more than answering questions. It’s a powerful form of self-expression. This experience has opened their eyes to the many ways words can tell stories, share emotions, and make an impact,” said Julie Palma, executive director of NOC.
NOC’s mission is to enhance the quality of life of those living in poverty by empowering them to achieve economic independence, personal fulfillment, and self-reliance. IWN’s mission statement is “We Champion Writers.”
The IWN volunteers’ goals for this program were to build confidence, encourage engagement, to teach them that words have power, and to make it fun. Through writing prompts, collaborative poetry writing, and writing their own stories, the children were taught how to ‘paint pictures with their words’ through description and powerful verbs that show rather than tell. In one example, the students had to come up with alternatives to the word ‘walk.’ Using their imagination to create a picture, they listed words like skip, jog, hop, scramble, and even teleport.
Ky Zubatsky, IWN volunteer, explained that IWN is an organization of writers who support one another with their writing goals, but they also do outreach in the form of readings at nursing homes, an open mic, and the Hilton Head Island Poetry Trail.
“This project at NOC was a wonderful experience for me,” Zubatsky said. “As a former teacher, I recognize how students who may underperform are often left behind. This was a great opportunity for me to plant the seeds of confidence and success. For me, teaching creative writing begins by believing each child has an inner storyteller, a unique perspective of the world that magically comes alive when given the opportunity to put thoughts on paper. These imaginings can often be delightfully unexpected and speak volumes about the importance of this engagement with writing.”
Palma said that volunteers are always welcome to help tutor children one-on-one to help them with English and math throughout the school year.
For more information about these two non-profit organizations visit: https://noc-sc.org and https://islandwritersnetworkhhi.org.
Color Sense
A Collaborative Poem by Bella, Brooke, Calet, Gaby, Jasleyb, Kaniel, Khalil, Leroy, Shayna, Vicente, Victor and Yohan
The color purple is the sound of pages flipping in a book
The color of pink is the sound of a bubble popping
The color green is the sound of leaves blowing in the wind
The color white smells like fresh paper
The color blue is the sound of a bird on a rainy day
The color white smells like my pillow
The color pink is the sound of happiness
The color blue smells like the ocean
The color orange is the sound of a siren
The color black smells like dark night
The color white is the sound of the universe
The color blue smells like sweat
The color red is the sound of a loving heart pumping
The color pink smells like sugar
The color blue is the sound of something interesting
The color green smells like wet grass
The color orange is the sound of an orangefalling from a tree
The color blue smells like nature at night
The color yellow is the sound of a snake hissing at a cat
The color orange smells like my sister
The color red smells like love
The color green is the sound of a plastic bag zipping up
The color yellow smells like the hot blazing sun
The color purple sounds like thunder
The color blue is the sound of the Milky Way
The color purple smells like a new book
The color green is the sound of money
Edwina Hoyle is a freelance writer in Bluffton.
