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Appalachian Young Writers Camp participants Cam Zirkle and Berklee Price, with grandfathers Sam Zirkle and Ray Price and camp teachers Cami Austin and Dena Barton, hold the books they helped author and design as part of the annual summer project.

Some of the 73 Young Writers Camp students who helped celebrate the publishing of their four story books at Union Primary School Tuesday.

Union Middle School student Berklee Price shows the story she helped write and turn into pages for books 'published' this summer by the Appalachian Writing Project's Young Writers Camp.

Union Middle School student Cam Zirkle shows the story he helped write and turn into pages for books 'published' this summer by the Appalachian Writing Project's Young Writers Camp.

Teachers with the 2022 Appalachian Writing Project's Young Writers Camp: Christiana Coomer, Beverly Hurley, Belinda Hamilton, Kin Johnson, Vicki Thomas, Dena Barton, Cami Austin, Hannah Barnett and coordinator Ninckey McCarty

Appalachian Young Writers Camp participants Cam Zirkle and Berklee Price, with grandfathers Sam Zirkle and Ray Price and camp teachers Cami Austin and Dena Barton, hold the books they helped author and design as part of the annual summer project.

Some of the 73 Young Writers Camp students who helped celebrate the publishing of their four story books at Union Primary School Tuesday.

Union Middle School student Berklee Price shows the story she helped write and turn into pages for books 'published' this summer by the Appalachian Writing Project's Young Writers Camp.

Union Middle School student Cam Zirkle shows the story he helped write and turn into pages for books 'published' this summer by the Appalachian Writing Project's Young Writers Camp.

Teachers with the 2022 Appalachian Writing Project's Young Writers Camp: Christiana Coomer, Beverly Hurley, Belinda Hamilton, Kin Johnson, Vicki Thomas, Dena Barton, Cami Austin, Hannah Barnett and coordinator Ninckey McCarty

BIG STONE GAP — Seventy-three students from Union Primary and Middle schools are ahead of the curve if asked to write an essay on what they did over the summer when they go back to school.

The students, part of the Appalachian Writing Project’s summer Young Writers Camp, came to Union Primary School Tuesday to pick up their copies of four books that they created from text to storyboarding, photos and final pages.

Camp coordinator Leravena McCarty said the project, an outgrowth of a teachers training program developed several years ago by UVA-Wise communication professor Amy Clark Spain, has helped the area's students since 2016 develop writing skills and multimedia collaboration.

McCarty said the Young Writers Camp, typically divided into three or four groups, uses LEGO sets and computers to develop a story concept. The students, working in groups of five to six, collaborate on the plot. The LEGOs come into play as each group builds sets or scenes to illustrate their work, and teachers help the groups use publishing software to create the story chapters, book and cover.

“Their love for writing with the hands-on motivation never seems to wane,” McCarty said.

Union Middle student and two-time camper Cam Zirkle came with grandfather Sam Zirkle to pick up his book with his group’s story, “The Treasure.”

“It was pretty fun working with friends and LEGOs,” Cam said as he showed his team’s work.

Berklee Price, also from Union Middle School, brought grandfather Ray Price to pick up her book and see her team’s story, “The Mystical Jungle.”

“I liked working with my friends too,” Berklee said of this summer’s writing camp.

Dane Conner, another Union Middle student and one of Price’s teammates, said he is planning to return next summer.

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“They were very motivated by building the scenes,” said McCarty, “and they applied instructional and practical writing to bring everything together. The quality of teachers we’ve had this year has been great too.”

“We’ve already got one student who’s planning what he wants to write next summer,” added camp teacher Beverly Hurley, one of eight instructors working with McCarty this summer.

McCarty said the Slemp Foundation has been generous with grants to help buy LEGOs, software and computer hardware for students to use each summer.

“This is giving them the freedom to write what they want,” said Hurley.

Instructor Dena Barton said the camp also helps break up the normal class structure to become creative.

“They have the freedom to choose their groups too,” added teacher Vicki Thomas, “and that’s not something you see in a typical school class. The kids can change their story concept, change groups or bring other kids into their groups.”

McCarty said Union Primary Principal Heather Sykes and Union Middle Principal Paul Clendenon have also helped make this year’s camp a success.

“They incorporate us into their already busy summer school schedules,” said McCarty, “and that’s hard to do with the normal activity and with construction at Union Primary this summer.”

McCarty said she and the teachers hope to build the students’ confidence not only in writing but in expressing their ideas by using words and other media.

“Each student is an author in his or her own right.” McCarty said.

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