Day Eight’s summer 2022 Writing Camp brings together exceptional poetry and journalism faculty to provide a comfortable and inspiring place for youth to develop as writers. Summer 2022 the camp will run for five consecutive weeks, June 27 to July 29, and participants may enroll for one week or multiple weeks. The 2022 Writing Camp will occur in person at the Shepherd Park / Juanita Thornton Library, 7920 Georgia Ave NW Washington DC. The last week of the camp, July 25-29, is a special “Women and Girls” week, produced in connection with Day Eight’s ongoing Women and Girls writing program and open to women and girls of all ages.

Download a Writing Camp information packet [PDF – updated June 10].

Enroll in Writing Camp

A maximum of twelve students will be enrolled each week, supported by two full-time staff members and multiple guest faculty members each week.

Daily schedule outline:

10:00-10:15 Arrival, welcome and morning meeting
10:15-11:30 Morning workshop with guest faculty
11:30-12:15 Independent and group work period
12:15-1:00 Lunch
1:00-2:15pm Afternoon workshop with guest faculty
2:15-2:30pm Break - snacks provided
2:30-3:45 Independent and group work period
4:00 Departure

Who is writing camp for?

Writing camp is for any high schooler with real interest in writing, particularly those interested in journalism or poetry. Anyone between the ages of 14 and 18 or anyone currently enrolled in an accredited middle or high school may attend. Thanks to support from Learn24, the camp is free for all.

Who are the faculty at the camp?

Summer 2022 faculty include Jonetta Rose Barras, Regie Cabico, Joe Davidson (Washington Post), SeKeithia Johnson, Kayla Randall (NPR), Shaquetta Nelson, Dwayne Lawson-Brown (Spit Dat), Jeffrey Banks, Norah Vawter (DC Trending), John Johnson, Anne Becker, Denaise Seals (Slingshot Video), Lisa Traiger (Washington Jewish Week), Asha Watson, Ebone Bell (Tagg Magazine), Holly Karapetkova (Arlington Poet Laureate), and Casey Catherine Moore (KIPPDC).

How will the camp be conducted?

The camp will conducted live in person at the Shepherd Park/Juanita Thornton Library, five days a week, Monday – Friday June 27 to July 29. The camp will be closed Monday July 4 and will re-open Tuesday July 5.

Day Eight is grateful for support of Writing Camp from the Friends of the Shepherd Park Library, Learn24, HumanitiesDC, and the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.