by MJ Goff

One by one the students stood and read from their written works.  It was a warm day in one of the old buildings at Museum Village, and the weeklong Hudson Valley Writing Project (HVWP) was winding down.  The kids had been working on various writing assignments throughout the past week, and today, Friday, was the finale where they read their works to the teachers, to their peers and family members; their artwork graced the windows and blackboard, and muffins and fruit were laid out a back table, a simple celebration to conclude a most productive and inspiring week.   

Johanna Yaun, Orange County's Historian represented the County to thank the teachers and congratulate the participants.  "W riting is the most important skills that will prepare you for working in any profession," she said, and added that "it can also be rewarding when created in a collaborative group, and most definitely in an inspiring setting, like Museum Village where each exhibit is thought-provoking"  Also on hand was Orange County's Poet Laureate, Robert Milby, who has been enjoying representing the County at various literary, community and historical events.  Milby had worked with the students earlier that day on a spontaneous poem exercise where after he provided a prompt (AKA opening line), each student, one by one, added their own line and when done had a complete poem about one of the County's mastodon skeletons displayed on the property. 

Though the HVWP has been inspiring new writers since its inception in 2001, this is the first time it's been held at Monroe's Museum Village. "The selection of Museum Village as a project site was introduced by Washingtonville High School social studies teacher, Dawn Vandervloed," says Diane Rawson, coordinating director of Youth Programs for the HVWP.  Vandervloed shared that she is a history buff and hoped the workshop at the historic Museum Village would spark the students' writing.  Exercises such as "what would it be like to stare into the face of a 15,000 year old mastodon skeleton," or providing historical toys and objects, for the students to examine and imagine how life was like hundreds of years ago, though seemingly simple tasks will develop writing and critical thinking skills that the students will carry into young adulthood and beyond, says Rawson. 

The works read this day included fictional stories about George Washington and Claudius Smith (no relation to Roscoe; this Smith was a reputed marauder during the Revolutionary War); a short autobiographical story about a walk on the beach; a letter from the future to a pivotal moment in American History; and silly stories based on an inspiring conversation.  Each piece of writing was unique, where one highlighted dialogue, another rich description, but all showed a clear focus of theme. In addition, they were read with confidence, providing an opportunity for the kids to practice public speaking. 

Milby pointed out the many literary heroes called the Hudson Valley for a time, like Edgar Allan Poe, Stephen Crane, Langston Hughes, and Allen Ginsberg.  "There's so much history here, and mixed with the natural beauty, this place is really inspiring," he says. "In particular, this is an opportunity for the kids to look around, see nature outside these huge windows, and put down technology for a while."

The Hudson Valley Writing Project is a program through SUNY New Paltz, and is held at various sites around the area.  Its purpose is to improve the teaching of writing and to promote literacy development in all disciplines and at all levels of education: preschool through college. HVWP teachers help students become successful writers, learners, and participants in their communities. The programs have been a success since the early days, says Rawson, through encouragement of the teachers in our area and word of mouth of past participants.  "The classes  always fill up," she adds, "and in some cases, there are waiting lists...we hope this happens next summer at Museum Village."

 

For more information, visit newpaltz.edu/hvwp