Writer's Playground (ONLINE)
Added due to popular demand!
July 7-11, 2025
9:30am - 11:30am PST
for rising 6th, 7th, and 8th graders
Location: Zoom
Tuition: $400
Writer's Playground is designed for students with an interest in creative writing, although no experience is required. For reluctant writers, or for those who want support in academic writing, contact Sam Prestianni directly for 1:1 tutoring opportunities.
In this dynamic, interactive, online version of Writer's Playground, we will explore different genres of your choice: fiction, memoir, scriptwriting, and poetry. We will also play with a variety of techniques, such as idea generation, dialogue, imagery, character development, and foreshadowing and/or suspense, depending on the class interests. The instructor keeps the course fun and engaging with multimedia resources that include art, music, and videos, in addition to texts!
Classes will last for two hours each day on Zoom. A typical class will include:
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Improv-style warm-up activities
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Reading of mentor texts
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Writing exercises and drafting time
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Workshopping with peers
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A celebration of our work at the end of the week!
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The instructor will provide personal feedback. We will also participate in structured writing workshops, with guidelines and protocols for evaluating our peers' writing and giving each other constructive feedback in a supportive environment.
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— Marilyn F.
Meet Your Instructor
Sam Prestianni is a widely published writer/editor (SFWeekly, New York Press, Jazziz, and elsewhere) and veteran Humanities educator who has taught writing for nearly three decades in Bay Area independent schools, including, most recently, Marin Horizon in Mill Valley. In 2021, he founded 21st Century Learning, an online platform that provides students of all ages uplifting education and personal growth experiences that transcend the traditional classroom. He's a Language Arts, Humanities, and SEL Development curriculum specialist. His individualized workshops and 1:1 courses include Creative Writing, Expository Writing, Songwriting, College/HS Application Essay Prep, Executive Function, and Media Literacy. A complete bio may be found here.