New Writer in Residence program helps build writers
By Nelson Daily Staff
A class at Selkirk College turned Mount Sentinel grad Julia Caceres Booth from a psychology major into a creative writer.
Now, beginning this year, the South Slocan native is using her skills to inspire others in Kootenay Lake School District No. 8 at a “Writer in Residence” for students at L.V. Rogers, Trafalgar and Mount Sentinel.
“I want to help build a group of writers with a deeper awareness of their community,” Caceres Booth said in a Kootenay Lake School District release.
“Youth can be a lonely time, kids struggle with questions like, “what to do, where to go next?”
The idea of the program is not new, but what is uncommon is the same teacher working with students from start to finish.
The extended contact time would be valuable to crafting writing skills to a deeper and more meaningful level.
Caceres Booth said the key lies in the editing process, a process that takes time and practice and cannot be learned in a single session.
Caceres Booth didn’t leave school to become that creative writer. The Mount Sentinel grad, instead, wanted to focus on Psychology.
However, that all changed when during a creative writing class at Selkirk College.
“The creative writing program [at Selkirk College] really is an exceptional program,” Caceres Booth said.
She claims it was at Selkirk College where she finally understood that how she saw the world was important and interesting.
It is the understanding and awareness of each writer’s indelible voice that Caceres hopes to bring to our students.
A principal focus of her work with the Kootenay Lake students will be to help them view writing as an effective means of strengthening empathy and providing them a sense of being connected.
The “Writer in Residence” program begins in February at L.V. Rogers.
In March Caceres Booth will move to Trafalgar Middle School where she will work with some of the Grade eight students.
The final location is at her alma mater Mount Sentinel.
This program is supported by The Kootenay Writers Society and is funded through a generous grant from the Columbia Basin Trust.
