Bringing the Seminar into Schools … and Schools to the Seminar
Through our multi-faceted Open Campus initiative, we leverage our experience and connections in the literary world to extend opportunities for Florida Keys students and teachers. We coordinate classroom visits from acclaimed authors, host college essay workshops for high school seniors, and offer professional development opportunities for teachers. This expanding initiative is an idea lab that supports creative writing instruction in our community and helps young people discover and develop their ability to express themselves and understand the world around them. Example opportunities are described in more detail below.
Writers’ Club
Monthly club meetings for local high school-aged writers feature generative prompts, free-writes, and a supportive environment to share one’s work and receive feedback. Writers’ Club is led by young writers and facilitated by our education coordinator. All teens in the Florida Keys are welcome.
College Essay Workshops
Strong college essays are authentic, reflective, and unique—qualities inherent to good creative writing. In our free college essay workshop, local high school seniors have the opportunity to brainstorm, write, workshop, and revise their college application essays under the expert guidance of our education coordinator. Workshops are offered periodically throughout August, September, and October.
Teacher Professional Development
We offer professional development sessions that give local teachers tools to bring the work of Elizabeth Bishop and other Key West-inspired writers into their classrooms. Resources include reading guides, place-based writing prompts, and primers on the Key West’s literary history and significance.
Building Bridges
We work closely with teachers, schools, and community partners to help provide unique experiences tailored to identified student needs. For example, in Fall 2026, we are partnering with Keys to be the Change to coordinate a six-session workshop for Haitian-American students at Key West High School led by acclaimed Haitian novelist Fabienne Josaphat.
Upcoming Engagements
Writers’ Club
Local high school students are invited to join us for a generative writing exercise and collaborative workshop.
TBD
The Elizabeth Bishop House, 624 White St.
Recent Events
October 2026
- 10/3 – College Essay Workshop
September 2026
- 9/16 – College Essay Workshop
August 2026
- 8/8 – Young Writers at the Public Library
- 8/7 – Teacher Professional Development
- 8/4 – Teacher Professional Development
Writers in the Schools
“Writing poetry is an unnatural act. It takes great skill to make it seem natural.” ~Elizabeth Bishop
Each January, one of our visiting writers speaks with local students about the act of writing. Students often leave inspired by their experiences and motivated to write. Past writers-in-schools are listed below.
Edel Rodriguez
2025
Carl Hiaasen
2024
Jacqueline Woodson
2023
Colum McCann
2022
Amy Bass
2020
Rowan Ricardo Phillips
2019
Jamaica Kincaid
2018
George Saunders
2017
Junot Diaz
2016