Community Programs
The UNA Center for Writing Excellence is dedicated to community outreach programs that help increase the writing and literacy skills and interests of the community, especially those of teenage and young adult populations. At present, the UNA Center for Writing Excellence has two community programs commitments.
Florence High School Writing Center
The UNA Center for Writing Excellence has also begun work with teachers and administrators at Florence High School to create the FHS Writing Center. Support materials and training for this program will be provided by the Center for Writing Excellence, while the tutors will be FHS’s own creative writing and Honors English students. More information on this program will be forthcoming.
The Florence High School Writing Center is led by Mrs. Dorlea Rickard, Head of the FHS English Department. Tutor training and document support is provided by Dr. Robert T. Koch Jr., Director of the UNA Center for Writing Excellence; Dr. Kelly L. Latchaw, UNA Assistant Professor of English; and Mr. Ash Taylor, B.A. in Political Science (Auburn Univ.), B.S. in English (UNA), CWE Tutor, and M.A.Ed. student in Secondary English Education (UNA).
Florence-Lauderdale Public Library Writing Workshops
Beginning in 2009, the UNA Center for Writing Excellence will be offering three community creative writing workshops. These workshops will meet on a bi-weekly basis for three months at a time: one each in Spring, Summer, and Fall.
- Spring Workshop: The New Writer's Workshop -- provides community, foundations, and practice in fiction, creative non-fiction, and poetry for new and inexperienced writers of all ages. Limit: 15 participants.
- Summer Workshop: The High School Writer's Group -- provides community, foundations, and practice for 9th-12th grade writers of fiction and poetry. Limit: 15 participants.
- Fall Workshop: Speaking from Experience -- provides community and practice for older members of the Shoals literary community. Limit: 15 participants.
Official dates for these group meetings will be forthcoming.
Instruction in these workshops will be provided by Dr. Robert T. Koch Jr., Director of the UNA Center for Writing Excellence, and freelance writer Ms. Amy Collins. They will be assisted by UNA Center for Writing Excellence tutors and volunteer Creative Writing students.
Florence-Lauderdale Public Library One Book Program
In Fall 2008, the UNA Center for Writing Excellence
participated in Florence-Lauderdale Public Library’s inaugural One Book Program, which
took place from August 23rd through October 10th. Community members
were encouraged to read John Grogan’s Marley & Me, and participate in discussions and workshops. As part of the program, Dr. Koch and three tutors from the University Writing Center (Miss Jess Lanier, Mr. Ash Taylor,, and Mr. Trey Canida) conducted a six-week memoir writing course on Saturday mornings from 10 am to 12 noon, from August 31st through October 4th. More information about the One Book Program may be found at the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library website.
