8 Creative Writing Camps for Middle School Students
Despite what most people think, summer programs that offer academic enrichment are not just for high school students. Students attending middle school have just as much opportunity to learn and grow from attending such programs. Summer camps can expand your knowledge and expose you to hands-on activities that aren’t found in schools, all with a healthy dose of fun.
If you’re interested in writing stories, crafting poems, or building imaginary worlds, a creative writing summer camp is the ideal choice for you. Not only will you enhance your understanding of words and language, but you will also improve your creativity and sense of innovation. Some camps even give you the chance to present your work in front of a crowd, which can be a huge confidence booster.
If this sounds like a good fit for you, check out these 8 creative writing camps for middle school students:
Application deadline: Rolling, until the camp fills up
Eligibility: Rising 5th to 12th graders
Program dates: August 11 – August 22, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Location: Camp Danbee, Peru, MA
Fee: $4,200. Limited financial aid is available.
Writopia Lab is a New York non-profit organization that runs creative writing workshops and camps for young students. WriCampia is the lab’s sleepaway camp where you can learn from published authors and playwrights. Every morning, you will attend writing workshops (not exceeding 8 students at a time) where you will engage in writing exercises and work on creating your own pieces.
The curriculum also includes an elective track—you can choose from topics like filmmaking, portfolio writing, and songwriting. Additionally, the camp involves activities like scavenger hunts, campfires, spoken word events, and more. You can see the previous year’s projects here.
Application deadline: Applications open December 13
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8
Program dates: July 21 – July 26, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Location: Duke University, Durham, NC
Fee: $1,400 (tuition fees) plus an additional $125 meal fee for the commuter track, or $750 room and meal fee for the residential track. Financial aid is available for tuition
Duke University’s pre-college program offers a creative writing course for middle school students. The course aims to develop your voice as a creative writer. During the weeklong program, you will explore storytelling, prose, and poetry. You will read and analyze various works and create your own pieces as well.
This program is available in both residential and commuter tracks. The residential program provides an opportunity to live like a college student and attend additional social events.
Application deadline: TBA for 2025
Eligibility: Students entering grades 5-12
Program dates: TBA for 2025. Two sessions were offered in 2024:
In-person: June 20 – July 3, 2024
Virtual: July 8 – July 19, 2024
Location: University of California, Los Angeles, CA or virtual
Fee: $650
The UCLA Writing Project organizes a summer program every year, with different programs for different age groups. As a participant, you will learn the art of writing from UCLA Writing Project fellows as you explore a specific genre. The 2024 program for 7th and 8th graders focused on writing about the environment. The curriculum includes group work, individual writing time, and one-on-one sessions with the teacher. After completing the program, you will have an anthology of your writing and receive a participation certificate.
Application deadline: Registration is open till the maximum capacity is reached
Eligibility: Students aged 13-18
Program dates: Multiple one-week programs available in the summer
Location: GrubStreet Center for Creative Writing, Boston, MA or virtual
Fee: TBA for 2025. Some classes are free, and scholarships are available.
This program is hosted by GrubStreet’s Center for Creative Writing, a non-profit organization that aims to help writers develop. YAWP is a weeklong program for teenagers to explore creative writing. It offers different classes on a range of genres, topics, and styles.
Your instructors will be published authors, and you can choose between in-person or online programs. The classes focus on building your confidence as a writer, encouraging you to share your work with others.
Application deadline: May 3, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program). Applications for 2025 will open in March.
Eligibility: Students entering grades 2-9
Program dates: Multiple one-week sessions in June and July
Location: Thurber Center, Columbus, OH
Fee: $300. Scholarships are available.
Thurber House is a non-profit literary arts center based in the house of the late author and playwright James Thurber. It hosts several literary programs, including this summer camp for young students. The campers are separated by age, with 4th-6th graders in one group and 7th-9th graders in another.
As a participant, you can expect daily workshops, writing exercises, author visits, and field trips to places like the Columbus Museum of Art. Previous students have made poetry zines and learned about topics like suspense writing and persuasive storytelling. This camp accepts students on a first-come first-served basis and each class is capped at 40 students, so you should apply early to this one!
Application deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8
Program dates: March 25 – May 29, 2025
Location: Online
Fee: $750. Limited financial aid is available
If you’re unable to travel to attend a summer program, you can consider virtual programs like this one. The University of Washington offers this workshop for students who want to hone their creative writing skills. This is one of the few options where you get to choose between focusing on one genre or learning about multiple genres like short stories, poetry, creative non-fiction, and more. Your schedule will include group discussions, individual writing time, and a final session where you will showcase your work.
Application deadline: January 15, 2025. Students may be accepted after this deadline if space is still available.
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8
Program dates: Two three-week sessions will be offered in 2025:
June 22 – July 12, 2025
July 13 – August 3, 2025
Location: Interlochen Center for the Arts, Interlochen, MI
Fee: $6,985. Need and merit-based financial aid is available.
The Interlochen Arts Camp is a well-respected program known for offering high-quality education in the arts, featuring a number of camps in the fields of music, theatre, visual arts, and more. You will learn from professional writers, take part in daily writing classes, and work on assignments in fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and playwriting.
You will learn how to critique others’ work and receive feedback on your own. At the end of the program, your work will be published in the camp anthology and you will have the chance to perform it at a student reading.
Application deadline: Early bird deadline: May 1, 2025
Eligibility: Middle and high school students
Program dates: TBA for 2025. Two sessions were offered last year:
July 9 – July 12, 2024
July 16 – July 19, 2024
Location: TBA for 2025. Last year, Session 1 was at Missouri Innovation Campus and Session 2 was at Anita Gorman Discovery Center
Fee: $275 ($225 if you register before the early bird deadline)
Organized in collaboration with the University of Central Missouri, the GKCWP offers this writing camp for middle and high school students. As a participant, you can expect daily writing sessions led by experienced teachers. The program aims to provide a supportive environment for you to grow as a writer.
At the end of the program, you will attend an open mic event where you will have the chance to perform your creative work in front of friends and family. The program welcomes students interested in all genres, from fantasy to poetry.
One more option—The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program
The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program is a program for middle school students to work one-on-one with a mentor to explore their academic interests and build a project they are passionate about. Our mentors are scholars from top research universities such as Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Yale, Duke, and LSE.
The program was founded by a Harvard & Oxford PhD who met as undergraduates at Harvard. The program is rigorous and fully virtual. We offer need-based financial aid for students who qualify. You can find the application in the brochure!
To learn more, you can reach out to our Head of Partnerships, Maya, at maya.novak-herzog@lumiere.education or go to our website.
Multiple rolling deadlines for JEP cohorts across the year, you can apply using this application link! If you'd like to take a look at the cohorts + deadlines for 2024, you can refer to this page!
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.
Comments