Nervous? Me? Why would I be nervous? I’m only a freshman, about to embark on a full day trip to Bates College with a group of really good upperclassmen writers. But why should that make me nervous? As we load the bus at 7:25 in the morning, 15 minutes before school officially starts, our trip advisor for the day hands out various handouts of poetry and information about the guest speaker. Naturally, I begin to read the author’s poems in an attempt to figure out what the day ahead shall be like. Excitement growls from within my stomach.

When we arrive at Bates College in Lewiston, I am surprised to find a relaxed atmosphere about the room. Instead of hard, wooden chairs and school desks, a colorful array of couches and cushioned chairs create an oval shape in the middle of the room; we quickly occupy the most comfortable looking seats. I am soon comforted by the sociable banter heard from around the room and my nervous expectations are put at ease. I could tell I was going to have a lot of fun here.

The Young Writers Program at AVEC (Androscoggin Valley Education Collaborative) offers high school students living in the Androscoggin Valley area a unique opportunity to meet with local published authors. This also grants students the experience of mostly thoughtful input and criticism. Sometimes we are separated into groups and must share our writing aloud within that group, and other times we speak to the whole assembly of students.

We meet every month throughout the school year, and take the whole day off to visit Bates College. We even eat lunch there, which is an adventure because we are all terrified of getting lost in their vast cafeteria. Furthermore, Young Writers is a place to meet new people and explore different personalities. Whether in the cafeteria or planning icebreaker activities, this program is great for bonding with students from other schools whom you may not have met before.

I am grateful for this course because it gives me a place to express myself and share what I’m thinking. It’s so much fun listening to what published authors have to say on certain subjects, and even to get input from the writer him (or her) self. This program allows students to take all day to learn something about the topic, and explore a possible career option doing what they love most.