Where Young Writers Find Their Voice
Yale Young Writers' Workshop (YYWW) offers a dynamic writing workshop for high school students that provides the flexibility to choose between an on-campus or online experience. Whether you prefer the immersive environment of Yale's campus or the convenience of participating from home, both options offer the same high-quality instruction and engaging community. Students can select from a range of genres—fiction, nonfiction, or poetry—and receive personalized feedback in small, focused groups. The workshop encourages creativity, experimentation, and growth, with the added benefit of connecting with fellow young writers and experienced faculty, regardless of whether you're on campus or attending virtually.
[point] The Yale Young Writers' Workshop is open to students who are between the ages of 16 and 18 and who will have completed their junior or senior year of high school before the program begins.
The application for the 2025 Yale Writers' Workshop is now closed. We encourage you to apply for the Summer 2026 session when applications open in January.
Yale Young Writers' Workshop On Campus or Online
Writers choose from one of three genres: fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. We have capped the workshops at twelve writers per genre to ensure all voices are heard. Participants attend talks on the craft of writing, open mics, faculty and visiting author readings, student readings, and learn about careers in writing.
The workshop is a safe creative space to experiment, play, and develop storytelling skills. Students will generate new material and then read it back to the group for feedback with an eye for revision.
Participants will read one assigned book prior to the start of the workshop. This will create a shared literature and allow students to investigate writing techniques from published work, and then have the opportunity to discuss with their peers and instructor.
Throughout the week, students will attend craft talks, open mics, faculty and visiting author readings, and student readings, all while exploring writing as both an art and a potential career.
Our faculty are gifted teachers and published writers. They will meet writers where they are and teach them skills to help them write their next story, essay, or poem. Our faculty may be the closest readers participants have ever had. They will challenge writers to produce their best work.
This workshop is ideal for motivated young writers who are ready to explore their craft in a supportive and stimulating environment.
Before You Begin the Program
- Your instructor will assign a short exercise for you to complete before the first workshop.
- Obtain or borrow the assigned book and complete the required reading before your workshop begins.
- Required Reading
- Welcome to the New World, graphic novel by Jake Halpern and Michael Sloan
- These Women You Gave Me, poems by Antoinette Brim-Bell
- Start writing now in your journal. Activate your muse in preparation for your workshop.